Report: Mavericks trade Harrison Barnes to Kings while he was on the court

Chris Cwik

One move wasn’t enough for the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. Hours after dealing Iman Shumpert away as part of a three-team deal, the Kings went out and acquired Harrison Barnes from the Dallas Mavericks, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The move must have come together quickly, because Barnes was on the court playing for the Mavericks against the Charlotte Hornets when the deal broke. He didn’t play the fourth quarter and finished the game with 10 points in 26 minutes.

The decision to deal Barnes in the middle of the game drew criticism from Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. The 34-year-old James took issue with the narrative that emerged as a result of the deal.

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So let me guess this is cool cause they had to do what was best for the franchise right??? Traded this man while he was literally playing in the game and had ZERO idea. I’m not knocking who traded him because it’s a business and you have to do what you feel what’s best but I just want this narrative to start to get REAL/CHANGE and not when a player wants to be traded or leaves a Franchise that he’s a selfish/ungrateful player but when they trade you, release , waive, cut etc etc it’s best for them! I’m ok with both honestly, truly am. Just call a ♠️ a ♠️!!

A post shared by LeBron James (@kingjames) on Feb 6, 2019 at 8:43pm PST

The 26-year-old Barnes is averaging 17.8 points and 4.3 rebounds.

Following the game, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle praised Barnes as a “model pro” and “one of the most improved players in the game.”

Barnes made sure to thank the “incredible fans” in Dallas for the past 2.5 years.

In exchange for Barnes, the Mavericks will receive Zach Randolph and Justin Jackson, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The 37-year-old Randolph averaged 14.5 points and 6.7 rebounds last season. He has not been activated for a game this season. Jackson, who was drafted in the first round of the 2017 NBA draft, is averaging 6.7 points.

The move signifies the Kings are going to try and make a run at a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Sacramento entered Wednesday a game out of the final playoff spot in the West.

If that doesn’t happen, the team is hoping to have Barnes long-term.

Harrison Barnes was traded in the middle of a game. (Getty Images)
Harrison Barnes was traded in the middle of a game. (Getty Images)

Barnes could accept that player option and return to the Kings next season for $25 million. It’s also possible Barnes could decline that option, in favor of a long-term deal that would keep him in Sacramento, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe.

For the Mavericks, the move was about freeing up cap space.

After picking up Kristaps Porzingis in a deal with the New York Knicks, the Mavericks will have additional cap room to try and find yet another impressive star to pair with Porzingis and standout rookie Luka Doncic.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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