Matt Barnes makes his bones in the NBA as a defender and enforcer, and while that role endears him to teammates, nine years of confrontations can complicate matters when free agency rolls around.
Before he joined the Los Angeles Lakers, Barnes, who has played for eight different teams, was with the Orlando Magic and waged on-court wars against Kobe Bryant. The circumstances surrounding his recent one-year deal with the LA Clippers for the veteran’s minimum of about $1.2 million were no different.
Blake Griffin was consulted before the Clippers decided to sign veteran forward Matt Barnes. (AP Photo)
Barnes floored Blake Griffin during last year’s preseason, a move that resulted in a flagrant foul. So negotiations with Barnes, who was recruited by point guard Chris Paul, could not get off the ground until the Clippers had Griffin’s blessing, according to a Los Angeles Times report.
For his part, Barnes spoke with Griffin to assure the electric power forward he meant no malice on the hard foul.
"I just kind of explained to him that it was no disrespect to him or his game," Barnes told the Times. "I think he’s one of the best players in the league and arguably the most athletic player. I play basketball hard-nosed and if you’re not on my team, during that 48 minutes we’re enemies. He appreciated it and understood where I was coming from."
A trip to the Clippers’ training facility with Paul led to a conversation about the new-look Lakers and Barnes’ free agency. It ended with Paul intent on Barnes becoming a Clipper. The All-Star guard pitched signing Barnes to management. He was a Clipper weeks later.
“Chris Paul was talking about how tough we were going to be next year, assuming I was a Laker,†Barnes said to the newspaper. “I told him I was a free agent and he said, ‘No, you’re about to be a Clipper.’ â€
Barnes gives the Clippers an upgrade on the defensive end, but his recent offensive struggles could be why the Lakers’ chose not to retain him. He averaged 7.8 points while shooting 45 percent last season. Cold shooting put an end to his run in the starting lineup after only 16 appearances.
Even with those struggles, Lakers fans have not been forgiving of Barnes’ move to the Clippers, who have become a legitimate rival in Los Angeles.
"I’ve been getting a lot of hate tweets, crossing over and trading" teams, Barnes said. "But people have to understand this is a business and teams and players have to do what they have to do. I wish the Lakers nothing but luck. I still have friends over there. When we’re on the court, they’re the enemy now."
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