The New York City Police Department is seeking to speak with Sacramento Kings forward Matt Barnes regarding an alleged assault at a New York nightclub Monday morning, according to a police spokesperson.

Kings’ Matt Barnes Accused Of Choking Woman At NYC Nightclub

Police stated the alleged assault, which reportedly involved Barnes choking a woman, occurred at Avenue nightclub in Manhattan following the Kings’ 106-98 loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday night.

The spokesperson didn’t provide any details of the incident or the investigation, although TMZ reported the assault involved a man choking a woman.

A representative for Barnes told TMZ that the player was defending himself against a violent group during the alleged altercation.

Barnes also posted the following message on Instagram Monday afternoon: “There’s always two sides to a story. The side the media consistently tries to paint of me…And what actually happened! Don’t believe everything you read.”

The Kings also released a statement on the incident:

“We have clear standards of conduct and behavior expected of the entire Kings organization – on and off the court. We are working with all parties involved to gather information in order to take any appropriate next steps.”

The rep told TMZ Sports that it all began when Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, who was also at the nightclub at the time of the incident, accidentally bumped a woman sitting at a booth next to the one occupied by Barnes and Cousins at the club and that several men who were with the woman attempted to get physical with Barnes. Cousins reportedly jumped into the fray to help defend his teammate before the police were called. Barnes claims he has taken photos of the injuries he sustained during the altercation to prove his side of the story, and attorney Alex Spiro, who is representing both players, said: “We do not believe a crime was committed and are hopeful no charges will be pressed.”

Spiro added that they are “cooperating fully with the authorities.”

Teams typically fly to the site of their next game immediately following road games, but the Kings next play in Dallas on Wednesday, so the schedule didn’t force them to leave New York on Sunday night.

Barnes played 17 minutes and recorded 2 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist for Sacramento during the Kings’  loss on Sunday. The 13-year veteran, who has incurred several disciplinary fines in his career, is averaging 7.5 points and 5.0 rebounds for the Kings (7-13) this season.

One of Barnes’ recent suspensions was a two-game ban in October 2015 following an altercation with then-Knicks coach Derek Fisher. The altercation occurred at the home of Gloria Govan, Barnes’ estranged wife, in Los Angeles. Barnes was suspended after a league investigation.

WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 28: Matt Barnes #22 of the Sacramento Kings dribbles the ball in front of Jason Smith #14 of the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center on November 28, 2016 in Washington, DC.

In an open letter posted to his Instagram account, Memphis Grizzlies forward Matt Barnes wrote out a heartfelt message to his ex-wife and former Basketball Wives star Gloria Govan, wishing her a happy Mother’s Day.

Grizzlies Forward Matt Barnes Writes Ex Note For Mother’s Day

“Wanted to wish @glogovan a happy Mother’s Day! Although we haven’t always been able to see eye to eye we’ve been able to remember what’s most important, & that’s raising two beautiful happy intelligent little boys,” Barnes said in the post. He then continued, “Thank you for giving me the two greatest gifts a man could ever ask for!! Hope you guys have a great day. Love you guys! Happy Mother’s Day to all the other mothers out there, without you there is no us!”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BFJnmZfrzTh/

Barnes, 36, has two twin boys — Isaiah and Carter with Govan, who is now allegedly dating Barnes’ former teammate and former New York Knicks coach Derek Fisher. Fisher posted his own Instagram photo of Gloria and her sons with the caption, “Hope you enjoyed a nice relaxing day today! You deserve it! Happy Mother’s Day @glogovan.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BFKv-U4Phvu/?taken-by=dereklfisher

When some haters began criticizing Barnes for his post, he quickly shut them down. “The point is to have a great day. It is what it is. I’m over it, did what I had to do, and kept it moving,” Barnes wrote.

Several others also called Fisher out for putting up this picture of Govan and her two kids when he has four kids of his own with his ex-wife Candace.

In March, Govan stated that she is not the reason Fisher got fired by the Knicks. Barnes and Fisher were involved in an altercation during the preseason in October when the Grizzlies forward found out the former Knicks coach was spending time with his estranged wife in Los Angeles. The incident resulted in a two-game suspension for Barnes.

PHOTO: CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 16: Matt Barnes #22 of the Memphis Grizzlies goes up for a shot past Taj Gibson #22 of the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on December 16, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

The feud between Memphis Grizzlies’ small forward Matt Barnes and New York Knicks head coach Derek Fisher has not lost its fumes since their initial altercation in August over Barnes’ ex-wife Gloria Govan. Barnes was reported to have driven to Los Angeles during the NBA offseason to confront Fisher about his relationship with Govan. This resulted in Barnes receiving a two-game suspension in December.

The Grizzlies were set to face the Knicks on Saturday night in a regular season game in Memphis. During the morning shootaround, Barnes gave some harsh words regarding Fisher relating to the August confrontation, “Every man who looks at the situation knows what’s right and wrong. Violence is never the answer, but sometimes it is. And unfortunately, it happened. I don’t regret it.” Because of this comment, the NBA fined Barnes after the game with a $35,000 fine. He was not only fined for his comment on Saturday but also a New Year’s Day Instagram post that included some more comments about Fisher. It read, “Being stuck in the ‘triangle offense’ w my ex & snitch, I mean former teammate & friend.. Who went behind my back, messed w my ex, got caught, got dealt w for being a snake, then ran & told the Police & NBA.. Instead of taken that ass whoopin like a man & kept it moving….!”

Barnes may have gotten his revenge on the basketball court though, after he scored a key shot late in the fourth quarter for his only two points, but ultimately raising the Grizzlies to a victory. The next time the two teams will meet will be on February 5 in New York.

Photo: CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 16: Matt Barnes #22 of the Memphis Grizzlies goes up for a shot past Taj Gibson #22 of the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on December 16, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

This has already been a crazy NBA offseason with free agents playing Bachelorette with owners, teams blackmailing their fans into new publicly funded arena deals, and the obligatory Summer League speculation from the salivating masses. Lost in all of this madness however has been the stealthy moves by the Los Angeles Clippers to make their team into what promises to be the most amusing, though definitely not the best team in the Western Conference.

Take a quick look at who the Clippers have managed to get together since the end of the playoffs:  uprooting journeyman power forward Matt Barnes and center Spencer Hawes is a smart move for a team looking to upgrade talent and downgrade bodies, while getting Lance Stephenson in return guarantees not only a talented shooting guard but also shenanigans like his infamous ear tactics, his stunning portrayal of a paraplegic or even  his general attitude.

The Clippers also signed free agent Josh Smith to a one year deal at the veteran’s minimum which will not only provide the Clippers with some much needed depth off the bench but also with Smith’s average seven technical fouls per season and his much maligned shot selection issues.

Perhaps as a form of checking their more impulsive guys on the roster, the Clippers also signed NBA veteran/legend/god Paul Pierce, also known as maybe the most cocky shooter in the league. His bluster isn’t unbacked however; Pierce’s game winning credentials are well established already.

Add these guys to an already volatile Clippers roster that stills contains dynamic, short statured and shorter of temper point guard Chris Paul who allegedly was so hard on his now-returning teammate DeAndre Jordan that Jordan wanted to leave LA,  Austin Rivers who keeps trying to convince us he’s NOT there because he is the coach’s son, the unshakably self assured but simultaneously elderly Jamal Crawford and the athletic freakishness of Blake Griffin?

The Clippers have assembled a powder keg of players who are all scorers and big personalities on and off the court; combine this with a criminally overrated and incompetent GM cum head coach and the bright lights of LA and we finally have the Clippers team that we’ve all dreamed of for so long. I can already see Chris Paul’s head exploding.

The Charlotte Hornets have sent Lance Stephenson to the Los Angeles Clippers for Matt Barnes and Spencer Hawes.

Lance Stephenson Sent To Clippers

Stephenson, who has became infamous for blowing on the ear of LeBron James, was sent to the Los Angeles Clippers after just one year with the Hornets. In the 2014 offseason, the Indiana Pacers offered Lance a five-year contract worth $44 million. However, he thought the deal was too little and decided to sign with the Hornets for $27 million over three years and a possible fourth-year option.

Yet, his time with Charlotte was less than stellar, as the athlete saw a decrease in almost all of his numbers: in just 25.8 MPG, he garnered 8.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 3.9 APG, which were all down from his tenure in Indiana (35.3, 13.8, 7.2 and 4.6). As a result, there have been consistent rumors that the Hornets were looking to trade the 24-year-old shooting guard, with the Clippers always being toward the top of the list of teams likely to trade for him.

As for Charlotte’s side of the deal, they get proven veteran Matt Barnes, who averaged 10.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 1.1 APG in 2014-15, and Spencer Hawes. Similar to Stephenson, Hawes needed a fresh start, as he served primarily as a bench player throughout the last season. In fact, he only averaged 7.1 MPG during the Clippers’ long playoff run. On top of this, he comes off a season that was his worst since his 2007-08 rookie year: 5.8 PPG, 1.2 APG and 3.5 RPG.

Still Hornets’ GM, Rich Cho, thinks both players are a solid addition. “We are pleased to add a pair of proven veterans to our team. Spencer Hawes is an experienced big man whose outside shooting gives us additional flexibility on offense. Matt Barnes is an experienced veteran who knows the NBA.”