Kevin Durant’s knee injury, which the Warriors reportedly fear is worse than the original diagnosis of a hyperextension, changes Golden State’s priorities on the buyout market.
Golden statewas going to sign Jose Calderon with their open roster spot in order to bolster their point guard rotation with a quality veteran, but Durant’s injury makes adding a wing the more imperative move. The team will reportedly sign and then waive Calderon, clearing room to sign Matt Barnes, who was released by the Kings to make room for incoming players in the DeMarcus Cousins trade.
Sources tell Haynes and me that the Warriors plan to sign Jose Calderon as they promised but then waive him to make room for Matt Barnes.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 1, 2017
Important to note that an official diagnosis on Kevin Durant is not yet known, but the Warriors clearly feel the need to add a swingman.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 1, 2017
While the Warriors still have to go through the process of signing and waiving Calderon before officially adding Barnes to the squad, Barnes pretty much announced the move on his Instagram page with two posts. The first is a picture of him, Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson from their Warriors days with the caption “Wish I could bring you two with me!! … Coming back to where it all started!”
The second one is a screenshot of a text conversation he had with Jackson, where the two are giddy with excitement about Barnes joining the NBA’s best team.
For a guy that’s bounced around the league, playing for nine different franchises, this is something of a golden ticket. Being waived by the Kings made him the best available wing player on the free agent market after the trade deadline passed, and while Durant’s injury, if it will indeed keep him out for a significant amount of time, is a big blow to the Warriors it has created this opportunity for Barnes.
