The Boston Celtics have aspirations of contending for an NBA championship this season but will need more help around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. There has been mentions in NBA trade rumors about some potential options but one appears to be emerging — Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, Harrison Barnes is on the Celtics’ radar as a potential trade target with their $28.5 million trade exception. The Kings have ‘no interest’ in trading Barnes though.
“Harrison Barnes is playing some of the best basketball of his career and is known to be on Boston’s radar (and likely several others). The Celtics, as has been widely reported, are on the lookout for ways to make good use of the $28.5 million trade exception they created in the Gordon Hayward sign-and-trade with Charlotte. Barnes — who is second on the Kings in scoring (16.7 points per behind De’Aaron Fox), third in rebounds (6.5 per) and third in assists (3.5 per) — has a team-friendly deal that declines year-over-year ($22.2 million this season, $20.2 million next season and $18.3 million in 2022-23). To this point, sources say teams have been given the impression that the Kings have no interest in moving Barnes.”
The Celtics do have the potential to field an attractive trade package if the Kings were to shift course and be willing to move Harrison Barnes for a rebuilding package. It’s justifiable to not want to move on from the forward given his success this season and importance to Sacramento’s resurgence.
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There is a need for the Kings to be focused on achieving winning results in the short-term to keep De’Aaron Fox satisfied with the organization. He is playing at a clear All-Star level and needs veteran help to keep Sacramento alive in the playoff race.
The Kings already have plenty of guards on their roster around De’Aaron Fox with Buddy Hield and Tyrese Haliburton. For a Celtics team that mostly has perimeter options like Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart to offer outside of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, that’s not an attractive outcome.
Sacramento doesn’t have a need that Boston could satisfy by engaging in a trade for Harrison Barnes, let alone partaking in a trade scenario that doesn’t create another hole. If anything, the Celtics would likely need to get a three-team scenario where a replacement wing would be headed to the Kings.
Harrison Barnes has played his into being an attractive trade option for teams and as a result as surfaced in NBA trade rumors. He is averaging an impressive 16.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, ad 3.5 assists while shooting 49.1% from the field and 41.0% from deep.
