Harrison Barnes is gearing up for his third season with the San Antonio Spurs, and while the team has emerged as a title contender, he wanted to stress that this has not always been the case.
In the summer of 2024, the San Antonio Spurs were coming off a 22-win season. Sure, they had Victor Wembanyama, and the future was bright, but no one was certain how long it would take for them to emerge on the other end of a rebuild.
The Sacramento Kings, on the other hand, were on the upswing. Yes, they had just missed the playoffs after an excellent season in 2023, but they were improving. Alongside De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, they made the move to sign-and-trade for DeMar DeRozan, bolstering their starting five. Were they a title contender? No, but they were supposed to be a good team.
Harrison Barnes was the odd man out. He was shipped off to the Spurs along with a first-round pick to make room for DeRozan. It looked like the Kings would pass up the Spurs, and Barnes would have to watch from afar.
Instead, the Spurs came out on top.
Harrison Barnes Outlines Spurs Journey
Since 2024, multiple stars--including Fox--have tried to push their way to San Antonio. It's become something of a destination. Barnes was brought into the fold right before the Spurs began to rapidly improve, withstanding a losing season in his first year.
Then, he got demoted to the bench. Still, he got a chance to play in the NBA Finals. After being brought in as part of the rebuild, Barnes now wants to see it through.
"I expressed to Brian [Wright] before last season and at the deadline that this was the place I wanted to be at," said Barnes. "I felt like we had done a lot in the first two years of me being here, and I was excited that he felt the same way."
This summer, almost anyone who cares about winning wanted to head to San Antonio. For Barnes, though, it wasn't about winning a ring. It was about seeing through the hard work he put in before everyone was paying attention.
"Everyone can look at last year and say this would be a situation to come to, but when I first got here, that was not the case," he admitted. "I'm excited for another year of that. I'm excited to continue to grow with my teammates."
Barnes signed a one-year deal to remain with the Spurs this summer. As Carter Bryant breaks out, Barnes' role is expected to diminish. For him, though, it was never about individual accolades.
