With over $32 million in cap room, the Pacers were a top candidate if Harrison Barnes decided to leave in free agency and switch teams. However, Barnes will stick around with Sacramento, as the Kings keep Barnes for at least three more seasons.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Barnes has agreed to a three-year, $54 million contract to stay in Sacramento after helping them return to the playoffs this season for the first time since 2006.

The forward, despite connections with former Kings point/shooting guard Tyrese Haliburton and head coach Rick Carlisle, decides to not go to Indiana and stays with a young potential playoff-caliber team. Barnes averaged 15.0 points per game with the Kings last season, as they went 48-34, third best in the Western Conference.

Carlisle was the head coach of the Mavericks when Barnes was traded from the Golden State Warriors to Dallas from 2016 into the 2018-2019 season. The 31-year-old was the most productive as a Maverick, as he averaged 18.7 points per game.

But with the Kings, he will be a valuable starter on a team with stars like point guard De’Aaron Fox, shooting guard Kevin Huerter, power forward Keegan Murray and center Domanas Sabonis. Losses to the Warriors were the thing that prevented Sacramento to advance further to the playoffs.

The All-star point guard Haliburton was drafted by the Kings in 2020 and was one of Barnes’ closest friends on the team before he was traded. The Pacers have a few options in free agency, but Barnes won’t be one of them.

The inaugural Kareem Abdul Jabbar Social Justice Champion award has it’s finalists, and they’re forward Carmelo Anthony, forward Harrison Barnes, guard Jrue Holiday, forward Tobias Harris and forward Juan Toscano-Anderson, the NBA announced Friday. The award is named after one of the best big men of all time and a surefire top-10 player ever in Jabbar. The award is given out to the player who best embodies Abdul-Jabbar’s message of civil rights, Black empowerment and racial equality.

These five finalists were selected from a list of 30 nominees, with one from each team. The prize they receive is a $100,000 award that the league will donate to a social justice-focused organization of the winner’s choosing, and the four semi-finalists will receive $25,000 donations.

The social change fund was created by Anthony and his good friends Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade in July 2020. The fund is an investment organization that strives to address the social and economic issues facing Black communities, including voting, housing and education.

Barnes’ reason for being a potential award winner is because he worked with Be.Woke.Vote, a get-out-the-vote campaign aimed at historically disenfranchised young people. Barnes also pledged $200,000 to organizations and foundations that combat police brutality and racial inequality, including the family foundations of slain Black men and boys, including Trayvon Martin, Botham Jean, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice and Jordan Davis.

Holiday, whom some might consider the favorite for this award due to the fact that he won the league’s Joe Dumars Trophy for sportsmanship last week, established the Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Impact Fund in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and global anti-racism protests after the murder of George Floyd.

Harris, through his own fund, the Tobias Harris Charitable Fund, awarded $300,000 to The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia to recruit teachers from historically Black colleges and universities, and created the Tobias’ Top Teachers program, which funds professional development workshops and purchases classroom supplies for teachers to help recruit and retain Black male educators.

Toscano-Anderson established the Journey to Achieve Foundation to help people of color in the Bay Area, Santa Cruz, California, and Mexico.

If you’re looking for when and where the winner of the award will be announced, it’ll be before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals.

With several high-profile players such as Kevin Durant already ruled out tonight, let’s take a look at the top options at each position on DraftKings for tonight’s five-game slate. Lineups lock at 7:30 p.m. EST, as three games will tip off at that time. Then there will be two games that start just a bit after 10:00 p.m. EST. Judging by the odds in Las Vegas, you are going to want to heavily target the Nets-Pelicans game and the Timberwolves-Kings game, as they have the two highest implied totals by a pretty significant margin. Now let’s get down to business.

Point Guard

Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets (DK: $9,900) @ NO

With no Durant or James Harden, Irving is going to be very highly-owned in what is expected to be the closest matchup of the night. Due to injuries, the Nets are actually slight underdogs against the Pelicans, but the game is predicted to be the second-highest scoring affair of the night. We all know the upside that Irving possesses, and he is going to be taking a lot of shots with two of the big three sidelined. Over his previous three outings, Irving is averaging 23.0 points, 8.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 1.0 blocks per contest. Expect his scoring total to go up tonight, while it may be a bit harder for him to dish out dimes with so many of his talented teammates injured. Either way, point guard is the position on the slate tonight that you simply have to pay up for. There are many good options, but Irving is the best in my humble opinion. Don’t forget that the Pelicans allow the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing guards.

Other Options: De’Aaron Fox, Trae Young, Cole Anthony

Shooting Guard

Garry Harris, Orlando Magic (DK: $4,400) @ ATL

We have to find a way to save our salary cap and I believe that on tonight’s five-game slate, shooting guard is the exact spot to find a bargain. Harris was traded at the deadline from the Nuggets to the Magic, and recently entered the Magic’s starting lineup last week. Considering Orlando’s plethora of injuries to players like Michael Carter-Williams, Terrance Ross, James Ennis, Otto Porter Jr. and others, Harris is going to see close to 30 minutes of action tonight. Over his three starts with the Magic, Harris is averaging 23.7 fantasy points per game. That’s obviously not earth shattering, but it means that he can absolutely provide a solid return on your investment. And because of the injuries, Harris may get plenty of looks from both within and beyond the arc.

Other Options: C.J. McCollum, Buddy Hield, Kevin Huerter

Small Forward

Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings (DK: $6,700) vs. MIN

In what should be the highest-scoring affair of the night, Barnes seems like a fairly safe bet tonight against a Minnesota defense that allows the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing small forwards. The last time that these two teams met, Barnes posted a monster double-double, finishing with 21 points and 12 rebounds for a total of 44.5 fantasy points. Barnes has also played at least 35 minutes in each of his last 10 contests, which means he will get plenty of opportunities against the Timberwolves’ atrocious defense. Barnes has a pretty high floor, as well as a pretty high ceiling. He could be in for a special night.

Other Options: Brandon Ingram, Anthony Edwards, Joe Harris

Power Forward

Julius Randle, New York Knicks (DK: $10,100) vs. CHA

The Knicks are the talk of the town as they go for their seventh consecutive victory tonight against a Hornets defense that allows the most fantasy points per game to opposing big men. Randle may be very pricey, but this is going to be a close battle tonight, as both teams are lobbying for playoff positioning in an extremely tight Eastern Conference. Not to mention, Randle has eclipsed the 50-fantasy-point mark in each of his previous four games, dropping at least 30 points in all four of those outings. In just his last two games, the All-Star is averaging a ridiculous 69.4 fantasy points per game. Considering Charlotte’s terrible interior defense, Randle has a great chance to keep this epic run going for himself and the Knickerbockers.

Other Options: Zion Williamson, Miles Bridges, John Collins

Center

Enes Kanter, Portland Trail Blazers (DK: $6,100) vs. LAC

Kanter seems like the most obvious option to roll with at the center position considering the absence of fellow big man Jusuf Nurkic tonight. Plus, superstar point guard Damian Lillard won’t be on the court, so Kanter may be asked to shoulder a bit of a heavier load on the offensive end. Kanter has 30 double-doubles this season, and although the Clippers are pretty solid at defending opposing centers, I don’t see many other options worth pursuing at the position. If you have the cap room, target KAT, otherwise go with the mid-range option of Kanter or perhaps Brooklyn’s Jeff Green, who could see extended minutes with Durant out of the lineup.

Other Options: Karl-Anthony Towns, Steven Adams, Jeff Green

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is matthbrandon) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on games and strategies, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may deploy different players and strategies than what I recommended. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.

Check out the top NBA DFS plays on DraftKings at each of the main five positions.

Point Guard

Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks (DK: $9,100) @ WAS

Young’s price has fluctuated a lot over the course of the season, but he gets a dream matchup with a Washington Wizards defense Friday night that is allowing the most fantasy points per game to opposing point guards and the second-most points per game to opposing teams in general. Young has produced at least 50 DK points in each of his previous six outings. Over that time span, he is averaging a ridiculous 32.2 points, 9.7 assists, 4.8 boards, 1.0 steals, and .3 blocks per game. The Wizards play at a very high pace, which means Atlanta will get plenty of possessions. Both the Hawks and Wizards rank among the top half of the league in points per game so Young should have plenty of opportunities to score and showcase his playmaking abilities. Although Russell Westbrook will do his best on defense, Young is too quick for the veteran point guard and can nail a three-pointer from anywhere on the court.

Other Options: Kyrie Irving, Collin Sexton, Mike Conley

Shooting Guard

Malik Beasley, Minnesota Timberwolves (DK: $6,400) vs. PHI

Beasley’s price continues to skyrocket but for good reason. With Minnesota missing Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell questionable after missing the previous two games, Beasley has been the Wolves’ top offensive performer. If Russell is able to suit up, I would have a contingency plan, but if Minnesota is forced to play without their two best players, Beasley should absolutely provide a great return on investment. The sharpshooter has played 30 minutes in each of the Wolves’ previous two outings, producing averages of 27.5 points, 4.0 three pointers, 6.0 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 1.0 steals. The Sixers allow the 12th-most fantasy points per game to opposing shooting guards so Beasley should have no trouble getting his shot to fall.

Other Options: Bradley Beal, Norman Powell, Alec Burks

Small Forward

Gordon Hayward, Charlotte Hornets (DK: $7,000) vs. IND

Hayward has been a bright surprise in his debut season with the Hornets. After a poor outing on Wednesday night, look for Hayward to get revenge against the Pacers. Although Indiana has a very strong interior defense with Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis manning the paint, their perimeter defenders are not nearly as skilled as Hayward. The veteran small forward is averaging 23.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals for 38.9 fantasy points per game. Since his price went down after Wednesday night’s weak performance, this is the chance to get him at a discount. Plus, Indiana is allowing the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards this season.

Other Options: Ben Simmons, DeMar DeRozan, Jeremy Lamb

Power Forward

Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings (DK: $6,000) @ TOR

The Kings play at one of the fastest paces in the NBA and also allow the most points per game to opposing teams. This means that Sacramento’s greatest skill players will be asked to keep up with a tough Raptors team and Barnes will carry the load at the forward position. The Raptors rank dead last against opposing forwards so Barnes is poised to have a huge game. Not to mention, Toronto’s best defender O.G. Anunoby missed his last game with a leg injury and may be unable to suit up for Friday’s matchup. It also doesn’t hurt that Barnes is coming off one of his best shooting games of the season when he converted 8-of-11 field goal attempts and 3-of-6 threes for 21 points. Over his previous two games, Barnes is averaging 21 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals. Expect that trend to continue Friday night in Canada.

Other Options: Giannis Antetokounmpo, John Collins, Justin Vanderbilt

Center

DeAndre Jordan, Brooklyn Nets (DK: $5,100) @ OKC

Since the trade for James Harden, Brooklyn’s frontcourt has cleared out significantly with the departures of Taurean Prince and Jarrett Allen. The subtraction of Allen specifically has opened up more minutes for Jordan, and the addition of Harden has created more easy scoring opportunities. The big man is shooting a crazy 89.3% from the field over the past five games, averaging 10.6 points to go along with 6.8 boards, 1.6 blocks and 1.4 assists in just under 26 minutes of action. It also helps that a career-high 64.4% of Jordan’s field goals this season have been dunks. Those are easy points for the veteran center. The Thunder will struggle to contain Jordan when the defense will have to spend all of its resources on defending Irving, Harden and Kevin Durant. Not to mention, Oklahoma City doesn’t really have anyone that can body up Jordan down low. The Thunder lack size, which is partially why they allow the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing centers. Roster Jordan with confidence.

Other Options: Domantas Sabonis, Andre Drummond, Robin Lopez

One of the NBA’s smaller market teams has made some sneakily good free agent signings over the weekend to an already promising, young roster.

The Sacramento Kings not only re-signed forward Harrison Barnes (four-years, $85 million), but also have added center Dewayne Dedmon (three-years, $41 million), forward Trevor Ariza (two-years, $25 million), and guard Cory Joseph (three-years, $37 million).

The Kings are coming off a season where they finished with a record of 39-43, good for ninth in the Western Conference. The Kings, who have not made the NBA playoffs since 2006, will be looking to break a 13 season postseason drought during the 2019/2020 NBA Season. With the additions that the Kings have made, it is hard to see them missing the playoffs once again.

https://twitter.com/MattGeorgeKHTK/status/1145684325850988545

Barnes, 27, averaged 16.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per game last season after being traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Kings. Barnes also shot 42% from the field and 40% from three-point range.

Dedmon, 29, is coming off a season for the Atlanta Hawks where he averaged 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game on 49% shooting, including a stellar 38% from three-point range, a surprise considering Dedmon is a center. Dedmon moves well for a center, fitting in with the Kings fast-paced offensive system.

Ariza, 34, spent time with both the Pheonix Suns and the Washington Wizards last season. Ariza is one of the best 3-and-D players in basketball. Ariza averaged 14.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game while with the Wizards.

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1145456076067729409

Joseph, 27, averaged 6.5 points and 3.9 assists per game for the Pacers last season, serving as the backup point guard to Darren Collison. Joseph is expected to have a similar role with the Kings, serving as the backup point guard to De’Aaron Fox.

These additions add on to an already impressive young core for the Kings. Led by Fox, the Kings also bolster Marvin Bagley III, Buddy Hield, Bogan Bogdanovic, and Harry Giles. Look out Western Conference because there is a new, young contender in town.

https://twitter.com/MattGeorgeKHTK/status/1145469358346346496

Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes will decline his $25.1 million player option and become an unrestricted free agent, Barnes’ agent Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports, told ESPN earlier today.

This move comes as a little bit of a surprise, mostly considering that it seems rather unlikely Barnes would command a salary close to $25 million on the open market. The best guess for this move might be that Barnes values signing a multi-year contract over short-term dollar value.

Even with small forward being one of the most coveted positions for teams to acquire long-term talent across the NBA, Barnes averaged just 16.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game on 42% shooting between his time with the Kings and the Dallas Mavericks last season. Barnes Player Efficiency Rating of 12.81 does not particularly excite teams either, ranking outside the top 150 among all players. Barnes shooting did improve after being traded to the Kings, shooting 45.5% on field goals including 40.8% from three-point range in 28 games, but it is still skeptical to believe a team would offer Barnes more than $15 million per season.

The former 7th overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft out of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill is reportedly open to re-signing with the Kings on a multi-year contract.  Both the Kings and Barnes enjoyed a successful partnership last season as the 27-year-old showed some flashes of the consistency he displayed on offense when Barnes used to play for the Golden State Warriors. Sacramento hopes to lock down the veteran wing to a multi-year contract so that Barnes can be a veteran scorer/leader in the young Kings locker room that features players like De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley III, Buddy Hield, and Bogdan Bogdanovic among others.

The Kings might also benefit if Barnes sign elsewhere as it would give the Kings a total of $60 million in cap space to spend on extensions and potentially some free agents this summer to further along with their roster from a fringe playoff team to a contender in the wide-open Western Conference.

https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1141049097731919873

The Dallas Mavericks made a big time move in trading away the rights to Trae Young and a 2019 first round pick in order to snag Slovenian guard Luka Doncic in Thursday night’s first round of the 2018 NBA Draft, and it looks like the team doesn’t plan on taking any chances when it comes to their future superstar. The team has announced that they will likely keep Doncic out of the NBA summer league in order to rest him, as he is just coming off the end of an MVP season in Euroleague basketball.

The Mavs still plan for Doncic to appear in Vegas while the summer league is in session in order to become acclimated with his teammates and training staff, the latter of whom will help Doncic develop from a strength and conditioning perspective.

Dallas hopes that Doncic can be the last piece of their core of talented young players, which includes 2017 first round pick Dennis Smith Jr and 26-year-old forward Harrison Barnes. Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said of his team, “We feel at this point that we’ve got some building blocks that we can watch grow together. Now you’re seeing the makings of the stuff that we had back 20 years ago. Now, it’s letting these guys grow together.” He clearly has high hopes for these guys, as that “20 years ago” reference was made in comparing these young guys to the likes of Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, and Michael Finley, the first two of whom are future Hall of Famers. That’s some pretty high praise.

Doncic indicated that, regardless of the team’s decision to keep him out of the summer league, he plans to work his hardest to succeed in the NBA. He said, “I like challenges. When they say you’re going to be good, I like to be challenged. When they say you’re not going to be good, I say, let’s see. When I step on the court, I need to show. No matter what pick you are, you need to show it on the court.”

While it might be disappointing for fans to have to wait until October to see Doncic play against NBA talent, the move makes perfect sense for the Mavericks, who clearly envision him as the future of their franchise.

Stephen Curry poked fun at LeBron James over the weekend at the wedding of Dallas Mavericks forward Harrison Barnes, Curry’s former Golden State Warriors teammate.

Steph Curry-LeBron James workout video

In the video, the two-time MVP is shown dancing in a suit and mocking James for a workout video the Cleveland Cavaliers star posted on his Instagram page in June. Funny enough, James’ teammate Kyrie Irving was also at the wedding and seemed to get a kick out of Curry’s moves, thus it looks like the Cavs guard is encouraging the Warriors star to keep dancing.

Among the other attendees of the wedding was former Cavaliers and Washington Wizards center Brendan Haywood. 

We’ll soon see how James responds to Curry’s jab. The veteran forward posted the videos after shaving his head following the Cavs’ loss to the Warriors in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The song “First Day Out” by Tee Grizzley featured in both videos.

Here is this funny video of LeBron trying a very strange exercise:

Irving has been seeking a trade out of Cleveland for several weeks. The 25-year-old point guard has reportedly received offers from the Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers,  Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks and Miami Heat.

A four-time All-Star, Irving still has two years and a player option remaining on his contract.

SAN ANTONIO, TX – MAY 22: Manu Ginobili #20 of the San Antonio Spurs and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors battle for the ball in the second half during Game Four of the 2017 NBA Western Conference Finals at AT&T Center on May 22, 2017 in San Antonio, Texas.

It’s beginning to get a little ridiculous, don’t you think?

Okay, yes, we know the NBA is going to extend its salary cap in the upcoming collective bargaining agreement, allowing for teams to overspend, but it has reached the point of absurdity.

I can understand Al Horford signing with the Boston Celtics for on a four-year $113 million deal. Is he worth it?

No. But how many of them are?

Horford is a pro, with the numbers to back it up. Now, he’s dipped a bit over the last two years as far as his point production (15.2 ppg in consecutive seasons) when compared to his best season in 2012-2013 where he averaged 17.4 points per, but he has always rebounded.

AL HORFORD CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Last season was Horford’s third-lowest rebounding average of his career (7.3 rpg). He has been in the league for nine seasons, made the All-Star team four times and helped the Atlanta Hawks to reach the postseason every year he’s been in the league.

So Horford I can stomach. But Ian Mahinmi, four years, $64 million?

C’mon, you’ve gotta be kidding me, right?

Mahinmi is an eight-year pro, who had, by far, his best campaign in 2015-2016, his walk year. The Frenchman averaged 9.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per contest this past season with the Indiana Pacers, his first as a starter.

MARCIN GORTAT POSTERIZES IAN MAHINMI

Let’s assume for a second that Mahinmi will give you the same production over the life of his contract with the Wizards, the numbers still don’t add up.

$16 million per year for 9 and 7?

The issue is that Mahinmi’s best season prior to last year was in Dallas in 2011-2012, when he posted an eye-popping 5.8 ppg to go with a Barkley-like 4.7 rebounds per.

So who’s to say you’ll even get 9 and 7?

But Mahinmi is far from alone.

Forward Harrison Barnes is set to ink a four-year $94 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks once the moratorium has passed. Barnes is head and shoulders above Mahinmi as a player, so there is no reason to compare the two.

HARRISON BARNES SCORES 18 IN GAME 3 OF 2016 NBA FINALS

Barnes is still young, just 24 years old, but his best performance also came in his walk year. The 6-foot-8 stretch-three, poured in a less than powerful 11.7 ppg in Golden State’s record-setting season, coupled with 4.9 rebounds per contest.

Not exactly frightening numbers for opposing defenses, but hey, what the hell, he’s 24, let’s give him over $23 million per season and see how it turns out. What do you think?

How about Tyler Johnson?

Tyler Who?

Don’t be embarrassed, I had to look him up too.

Johnson is a guard from North Dakota who went undrafted in 2014. He played college ball at Fresno State where he averaged a whopping 10.6 points per game.

In his breakout year in Miami last season, he averaged 8.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

So you can obviously understand why the Brooklyn Nets offered him $50 million over four years.

THE BEST TYLER JOHNSON HIGHLIGHTS WE COULD FIND

Wait What? Tyler Who got what now?

That’s right times are changing.

The Bismack Biyombo’s of the world are signing contracts for $18 millie per season. I hear the Knicks signed a crossing guard to their D-league team because he looked like he could help on defense.

Jimmer Fredette is the next one to cash in.

Get real NBA. The money being spent on mid-level players could be put to better use elsewhere, expanding the league perhaps.

But with the new rules permitting logos directly on jerseys, maybe teams are still trying to figure out how to spend their expanded revenue streams.

Either way, it has been made abundantly clear: NBA contracts are absolutely absurd.

Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes has become a hot commodity as free agency approaches and the Philadelphia 76ers are first in line to land the 6-foot-8 swingman.

ESPN’s Marc Stein and Marc J. Spears are reporting sources close to the Philadelphia franchise are saying that Barnes is rising on a list of potential targets for the Sixers, who won only 10 games last season, but hold the cards to the future with lottery picks Jahlil Okafor, Joel Embiid, Nerlens Noel, and now 2016 No. 1 draft pick, Ben Simmons.

Philadelphia learned first-hand what Barnes is capable of on the offensive end when he drilled a corner 3 with two tenths of a second remaining to beat the Sixers 108-105 back on Jan. 30.

Barnes is a restricted free agent, meaning the Warriors have an opportunity to match an offer sheet presented to the former Tar Heel. But if things go as planned in the Bay area, Golden State won’t have room on the roster for the 24-year-old.

The Dubs have said they were going “all-in” on an effort to sign the offseason’s most coveted free agent of all, Kevin Durant.

KEVIN DURANT HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2016 COMEBACK SEASON

Durant has drawn interest from nearly every contender in the league, and some that are hoping to compete in the playoffs in 2017.

The New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs and Durant’s current team, the Oklahoma City Thunder are all in the mix for the 7-time All-Star, with several others soon to follow.

Barnes averaged 11.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in his third season, numbers that could be amplified if the athletic forward were permitted more touches on the offensive end.

If the Sixers present Barnes with a max offer, it would be in the neighborhood of $90 million over four years, though Philadelphia is inclined to spend this offseason in order to meet the NBA’s projected salary floor of $80 million.

NBA free agency opens at 12:01 a.m. Friday, with a weeklong, mandatory moratorium between July 1, players can officially ink their new deals beginning July 8.