The San Antonio Spurs have taken a commanding 3-1 lead over the Portland Trail Blazers in their first-round playoff series, but they've done so without any impact from former Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes.
Barnes' diminishing role with the Spurs casts some doubt over his future ahead of free agency this offseason, and could swing the door wide open for a reunion with the Warriors 10 years after he departed the franchise.
Harrison Barnes could be a free agency target for the Warriors
Barnes started all 82 games for the Spurs last season and 52 during this campaign, only to lose his role in recent months as head coach Mitch Johnson prioritized more shooting with Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie.
The former Warrior averaged nearly 26 minutes per game during the regular season, but that's fallen off dramatically to just 10.9 through the first four games of the playoffs where Barnes is posting only 2.0 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.3 assists on 25% shooting from the floor.
It looks like the Spurs are well and truly ready to move on from Barnes, particularly considering they've got a younger, similar type player coming through in Carter Bryant who will forseeably step into a bigger role next season.
On the other hand, the Warriors are in desperate need of more wing/forward depth, having lost Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody to long-term injuries while trading Jonathan Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks at the February mid-season deadline.
Barnes could be a proven veteran option to add some depth in that department, and Golden State could incentivize the 33-year-old with a much bigger role at least through the early portion of the season before Butler returns from injury.
Harrison Barnes may still hold grudge that prevents reunion
The bigger question might be what Barnes thinks of a potential reunion with the team he won a championship with in 2015? The end of his time wasn't ideal, having struggled mightily in the final three games of the 2016 NBA Finals where he combined for just 15 points on a horrid 5-of-32 shooting from the floor.
Barnes was then essentially kicked out the door to make room for the incoming Kevin Durant, something Draymond Green believes his former teammate still holds a grudge over despite so many years having passed.
Any potential reunion opportunity could be slammed shut if Green is right, but if not it might be worth a conversation considering the Warriors have a role available that the Spurs simply don't have for Barnes anymore.
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