Matt Barnes a Sun

by Turambar on Jul 20, 2008 11:27 PM MDT

Ed note: You spend 5 hours in the car and look what happens...I am bumping this up and also editing the post down to a quick quote and link to the EV Trib...-P Stan

I just found this out through our brethren on phxsuns.net. i have to say that I am happy about this signing. About time we land a decent free agent!

here's the news

Suns sign free agent Matt Barnes
Jerry Brown, Tribune

The sixth-year NBA veteran signed for the league’s veteran minimum contract ($1.2 million, about $400,000 of which is paid by league funds) and will immediately step into the rotation as either a starter or bench player on the wing. He will be in Phoenix to take his physical on Monday morning and is expected to finalize his deal afterward.

and here's how you can identify him which is still subtle compared to this....

INTERNET WARNING - THIS MAY NOT ACTUALLY BE MATT BARNES' TATTOOS. Judge at your own risk.

[Note by Phoenix Stan, 07/20/08 11:07 PM PDT ]

I've had all of 30 minutes to think about this but on the surface here's what I think it means:

No Gordan Giricek - that's an easy call
At the league minimum this signing is a real bargain - no question
The question that Barnes does raise is his impact on the rotation. Do he and Hill share primary duties at the 3 and if so does that mean Diaw is going to backup Amare as a 4? Or perhaps this makes Diaw just a little more expendable now.
I still don't see the Suns starting the year with both Diaw and Barbosa on the roster.
After watching Tucker look pretty darn good at the 2 and given his rookie salary my bet is still on Barbosa being moved to reduce the overall salary and clear room for a backup point guard.
Anyone know Kyle Lowry's agent or have the number for the Grizzlies GM?

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Comments

If this is official..

this is a pretty big signing for the Suns and he would be a pretty big boost for our bench this season.

by brian13 on Jul 21, 2008 12:07 AM MDT 0 recs

I dare say....

that our bench might actually be solid now.

"Yeah I could have been king, but maybe I already am king. Hail to the king baby." Ash from Army of Darkness

by Turambar on Jul 21, 2008 12:59 AM MDT 0 recs

Understood from norcal, but...

For $400,000, a good signing nonetheless. At the very least, we have a decent outside threat who has done it in the past, albeit over only one season.

The main thing we may have here is a man who is going to get Tucker’s minutes if he doesn’t improve. Alando Tucker now has someone to beat out. This is insurance, pure and simple. If the stars align, he is a part-time starter. What could be wrong with that?

I understand your frustration, norcal, that he let you down last season. The Warriors were a mixed bag late last season. I suggest you concentrate on the task at hand, namely, how to find time for the logjam at small forward (SJax, Branden Wright, Anthony Randolph, Cory Maggette) and replacing Baron Davis than griping about some perceived failure by Matt Barnes. Barnes wasn’t going to get any time with that list of competition even in his best days. But on the Suns, who are much more balanced, his skills will be much appreciated.

What is the business plan there at GS, anyway? why sign Maggette?

April 29, 2008 Total Eclipse of the Sun. Is the sky falling?

by Hawk42 on Jul 21, 2008 6:50 AM MDT 0 recs

Barnes and Tucker

It is very clear that at 6’4” Tucker is not going to play the SF in this league. He’s a solid two guard who can score and post up and hopefully can shoot about 37% from 3.

My questions about the Barnes signing is what it means to Diaw playing the 3. I think we were all hoping to see Diaw start at small forward next to Amare and Shaq with Lopez backing up Shaq. That still leaves the need for another big man behind Amare.

Does Barnes signing mean that he will be behind Hill and Diaw will be part of the big man rotation?

Oh, and the answer to GS log jam up front is to squish Brandon Wright and Anthony Randolf together and get one guy big enough to play the four. Either of those guys are really going to struggle in this league. They are both rail thin and going to get destroyed in the paint.

Blogging Suns Basketball

by Phoenix Stan on Jul 21, 2008 9:07 AM MDT up 0 recs

Sorry, thought he was 6'6".

April 29, 2008 Total Eclipse of the Sun. Is the sky falling?

by Hawk42 on Jul 21, 2008 10:26 AM MDT up 0 recs

Alando is listed at 6'6", but he's a small 6'6".

Wondering what the skip-2-my-loo to do next with my empty summer

by ZonaFlash on Jul 23, 2008 2:11 PM MDT up 0 recs

Yay!

I’m very happy with this signing. You can’t get many bargains at the vet minimum, but this is one of them!

Wondering what the skip-2-my-loo to do next with my empty summer

by ZonaFlash on Jul 21, 2008 9:49 AM MDT 0 recs

Starbury's head tatt

Make his cranium look like a shoe ad.

I wonder what the market value is for that real estate just below the star…

Wondering what the skip-2-my-loo to do next with my empty summer

by ZonaFlash on Jul 21, 2008 10:05 AM MDT 0 recs

not trying to brag....

BUT I CALLED THIS! Back on 7/1 I wrote a blog here on brightsideofthesun.com saying I think he’d be a great pick up and that the Suns should work to get him. Hellz yes!

Great singing. He’s athletic, can sometimes shoot, and he is a hustle guy@

by willthehawk on Jul 21, 2008 12:15 PM MDT 0 recs

Yup

You called it! I think everyone is surprised that he agreed to the vet min.

Blogging Suns Basketball

by Phoenix Stan on Jul 21, 2008 12:30 PM MDT up 0 recs

Makes you wonder

Why was he available at this price? Given he signed for the veterans minimum, I think this is low risk, high reward (potential) for the Suns. It sure beats having another 30-something scrub (yeah, I’m lookin’ at you, Piatkowski) riding pine at the end of the bench.

Now about that pesky back-up point guard…

by Mike Lisboa on Jul 21, 2008 1:43 PM MDT up 0 recs

yah, for sure

He is certainly better than veteran’s minimum regardless of where he fits in the rotation. When you think of veteran minimum guys, I think of say, Paul Shirly, Sean Marks, Pat Purke… not a legit role player!

Im psyched

by willthehawk on Jul 21, 2008 5:11 PM MDT up 0 recs

you can add

Shaquille O’Neal to that list you just rattled off

Blogging Suns Basketball

by Phoenix Stan on Jul 21, 2008 7:20 PM MDT up 0 recs

HA!

Good one man

by willthehawk on Jul 22, 2008 2:27 PM MDT up 0 recs

I don't think

It’s that surprising that he signed for the vet. minimum. The market’s pretty flooded with SFs this year compared to the number of teams with cap space to throw at players. And, to be honest, his track record is not that good (he missed the chance to cash in on his Mavericks series).

If he can produce this year on a high-profile team he could look for a better contract next summer. It’s really a risk-taking, investment move, which is good for us. He’ll be playing with a profit motive, and that’s the strongest motivation in professional sports.

Purchasing my Dragic jersey

by rosewood on Jul 23, 2008 3:03 PM MDT up 0 recs

For the Price

For the minimum, it’s really a no-brainer. He is good enough to contribute, but I don’t think he’ll do anything like he did two years ago.

The Suns sure have a lot of “hustle guys” on the roster now.

Mmmmm ... Guinness

by JSun on Jul 21, 2008 2:29 PM MDT up 0 recs

And I thought it was just fanblog wankery!

Good call. Can you get us nay other good players? =)

Wondering what the skip-2-my-loo to do next with my empty summer

by ZonaFlash on Jul 23, 2008 2:13 PM MDT up 0 recs

Well....this is a secret, but...

Ok, here’s the next big one: Suns trade Diaw’s fatty contract (along with like 12 draft picks) to Lakers for Kobe in a grand scheme just so Kobe can finally tell us how Shaq’s ass tastes… ha

by willthehawk on Jul 24, 2008 5:52 PM MDT up 0 recs

=)

It’d be great if Kobe got on Sheriff Joe’s posse just to rub it in.

Wondering what the skip-2-my-loo to do next with my empty summer

by ZonaFlash on Jul 26, 2008 10:43 AM MDT up 0 recs

Though

I’m glad the Suns didn’t take your advice and give him the mid-level b/c as I said in response to that post:

If you pay Barnes 3M and want him to be your 8th man, you’re probably crazy.

If you pay him 1.5M and have him as a 10th man, you’re all right.

It’s all about expectations, and I give Barnes at 1.2M a big, smiley “Why not?”

Good call though.

Purchasing my Dragic jersey

by rosewood on Jul 23, 2008 2:58 PM MDT up 0 recs

Totally

It is all about his role in the rotation. It’s strange, I still don’t see him higher than 9th on the team… Kerr basically promised Lopez decent minutes, and somehow he also promised a backup point guard to rest Nash for like 12 games this year…which seems like an exaggeration.

But yeah, for 1.2 (and really only what, like 800 K that the Suns themselves pay with the awesome-o league fund for vets) he isn’t a bad pickup.

Surely, at the very least, the signing is going to fuel at least a two-part episode of “Suns Insider” dedicated to his tatoos

by willthehawk on Jul 24, 2008 5:55 PM MDT up 0 recs

I think the Suns should trade Diaw, Barbosa + cash or draft picks to Chicago for Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon. Gordon could score more than Barbosa and Hinrich would be a perfect backup PG.

Nice addition with Matt Barnes but we need a PG.

Duhon gone, Lue gone, Cassell NO, J-Will injury prone. We should get Arroyo but I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes to Europe for a big-time offer.

by phxsunsm on Jul 21, 2008 2:28 PM MDT 0 recs

Hinrich

LB for Hinrich straight up isn’t a bad idea if Kurt would take a shorter team deal for about $3m

Blogging Suns Basketball

by Phoenix Stan on Jul 21, 2008 3:08 PM MDT up 0 recs

Good luck getting a backup PG...

I’m ready to trade the whole bench for one. Just once. Can KJ still play? KJ for backup PG out of retirement. Just one more time.

Wondering what the skip-2-my-loo to do next with my empty summer

by ZonaFlash on Jul 23, 2008 2:15 PM MDT up 0 recs

Sorry, no KJ...

He’d have to leave the campaign trail to join the Suns… but how about that Stockton guy? I bet he could play 8 minutes a night and maybe even 12 games. Can we go ahead and start the John Stockton to the Phoenix Suns rumor? He could be our “Point Guard of the Past.”

by Mike Lisboa on Jul 25, 2008 10:59 AM MDT up 0 recs

If that's the case

Lets bring Steve Kerr and Thunder Dan so they can spread the floor with their three point shooting!

"Basketball doesn't build character. It reveals it"

by PanamaSun on Jul 25, 2008 1:21 PM MDT up 0 recs

It's been way too long...

...since the last player-coach. Where’s Jackie Moon when we need him?

by Mike Lisboa on Jul 25, 2008 2:11 PM MDT up 0 recs

You mean Dan's half court shooting.

Wondering what the skip-2-my-loo to do next with my empty summer

by ZonaFlash on Jul 26, 2008 10:44 AM MDT up 0 recs

Cheap Quality

Great signing on the cheap – Barnes does suit the Sun nucleus, and should be utilized well. Many questions surrounding where he’ll fit into the rotation – I guess it remains to be seen if anything happens to Diaw – if not, I think he’ll still be behind the starting Hill and Diaw, but both Diaw & Barnes will play together for sure.

I’m not a huge fan of the Hinrich for Barbosa deal, even though you get a pure PG, Hinrich really needed to step up and lead from that position last season with the struggling Bulls, yet didn’t – also financially wise it could work, but I don’t think the Suns would give up on both LB and Diaw for Hinrich & Gordon.

by dang on Jul 22, 2008 2:11 AM MDT 0 recs

THE TATOO

this really isn’t related to the rest of the comments, but i noticed matt barnes’ clover tat has got the philippine flag. does anyone know if he has any filipino relations?

by phxsun on Jul 30, 2008 10:50 AM MDT 0 recs

on 2nd thought, are those his tats? because these images (showing the same right shoulder) say otherwise. :|
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1372/1475376052_01cd7fe9ca.jpg
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0gUn08X1KoeFB/340x.jpg

by phxsun on Jul 31, 2008 5:49 AM MDT 0 recs