Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings agree to three-year, $54 million extension

Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes–a player that was a critical part of the franchise’s rise into contention in the Western Conference–agreed to a three-year, $54 million extension with the Kings, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. With the deal, he’ll pass Tar Heel legend Vince Carter as UNC’s highest-paid player from NBA contracts. Last year, he averaged 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game for Sacramento. Last season marked his 12th year in the NBA.

Barnes posted some of the best numbers of his NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks in 2016 and 2017, when he averaged 19.2 points per game and 18.9 points per game. While he’s not the player he once was, he’s still a very effective player in the league.

Barnes has had three different stints with three NBA teams during his 12 years in the league thus far: the Sacramento Kings, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Golden State Warriors.

Before his first season with the North Carolina Tar Heels, Barnes was named preseason All-American by the Associated Press and he did not disappoint.

During his debut with UNC, the Iowa native dropped 21 points in an exhibition game in the Bahamas. He showed his knack for drilling shots in the clutch after he nailed the eventual game-winning three-pointer against Miami to give the Tar Heels the lead with 6.6 seconds left in the game. The Iowa native also drilled a three-pointer against the Florida State Seminoles to lift UNC to victory.

Barnes also racked up his first double-double on December 11, 2010, pumping in 19 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. He led his team in scoring for 16 of 38 games, leading the Heels to an ACC Regular Season crown, the final of the ACC Tournament, and all the way to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.

During the 2011 ACC Tournament, he exploded for 40 points against Clemson–setting the record for points by a freshman in an ACC Tournament game. He also scored the most points by a freshman in the ACC Tourney since Phil Ford pumped in 78 points in 1975. In the NCAA Tourney, he dropped 84 total points, the most points by any UNC freshman in program history.

Following his rookie campaign with the Tar Heels, he became just the ninth player in school history to earn ACC Rookie of the Year honors.

As a high school prospect, Barnes was one of the most highly regarded players in the country. He earned co-MVP honors in the 2010 McDonald’s All-American Game. He also reeled in Mr. Basketball honors for the state of Iowa in 2010. According to the On3 Consensus Rankings for the 2010 cycle, Barnes was rated as a five-star prospect and the No. 2 overall prospect in America.