Barnes To The Clippers

lakerfan2 wrote:ridens? riddance.

lakersStan24 wrote:I Haven't felt this happy since the Dwight Howard Signing!

Ariza3 wrote:rather him go to the mavs than clippers or heat. he can help those teams and id rather they not get any help at all.

lakerswiz wrote:I'm pretty sure I'll go back to hating him the second he's on another team.

And he's looking at those 4 teams? They literally are my 4 most hated teams right now.

Chris Paul pushing for Clippers to sign Matt Barnes



Sources say Matt Barnes is strongly leaning toward joining the other inhabitants of Staples Center, and a deal could be formalized later this week. Barnes turned down a more lucrative deal with Cleveland two summers ago to sign with the Lakers at the behest of Kobe Bryant, and it appears a similar superstar dynamic could be in play with the Clippers and Chris Paul.

Paul, who carries more Clippers clout than ever these days because of his looming free agency in 2013, has been included in the team's decision-making process throughout the summer and would love to make Barnes the latest addition. He appears on the verge of getting his wish. The Clippers re-signed a Paul favorite in point guard Chauncey Billups earlier this summer, secured a five-year extension with forward Blake Griffin and also added the likes of scorer Jamal Crawford, veteran small forward Grant Hill and reliable big man Ronny Turiaf.

It's been a banner summer for the new vice president of basketball operations, Gary Sacks, a longtime Clippers executive who teamed up with team president Andy Roeser and coach Vinny Del Negro on the personnel front when general manager Neil Olshey left for Portland.

Barnes -- who averaged 7.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 22.9 minutes in 63 games last season and has been impressing during workouts at the Clippers facility in recent weeks -- would be a low-risk, high-reward add that would replace the toughness and defensive mentality lost with the exit of free-agent forward Kenyon Martin.

Sources say the Lakers have still been considering signing Barnes as well, along with Brooklyn and Miami.

Center Court wrote:I'd stil rather have Barnes over Ebanks until he can prove he deserves the 14-18 mins he's going to be getting. I think have one more year with Barnes and find Ebanks more minimal mins, then I think next year he'd be ready for full time backup mins.