Harrison Barnes is in his 14th NBA season and is back in the NBA Finals for the third time in his career. He might have a diminished role, but he couldn't be happier for two of his young teammates.
In 2024, the Sacramento Kings attached a first-round pick to Harrison Barnes, sending him to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for nothing, just to make room to add DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade with the Chicago Bulls.
Nearly two years later, the Kings are one of the most directionless teams in the NBA, and the Spurs are in the NBA Finals.
In his two seasons with the Spurs, Barnes has been a reliable veteran and sharpshooter, bouncing between the starting five and reserve unit, all while being a mature mentor. In the postseason, he's seen his playing time reduced, but after winning a ring with the Golden State Warriors back in 2015, he knows that it's less about individual achievements and more about committing to something bigger than himself.
After Game 1, he took a moment to praise the poise and "luck" of two of the players who have leapfrogged him in the lineup.
Harper, Bryant Are NBA's Luckiest Players
Most lottery picks, especially players picked second overall, end up on a putrid team, not even making the playoffs in their rookie season, let alone the Finals.
Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant are the exceptions, and as the season goes on, the Spurs have given them more and more responsibility.
"I told Dylan Harper and Carter, I said, man, those guys are the luckiest guys in the NBA," said Barnes. "I mean, they just walk in from college, win 60 games, just in the Finals in their rookie year. I said, they don't know anything different. You know what I mean? Two lottery picks, they don't even know the other side of it. So, you know, I think it's good. It's good to kind of see the excitement, the youthfulness."
Barnes won his lone ring in his third season with the Warriors, starting alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. He was also a lottery pick, going seventh overall, and lost to the Spurs in the second round of the playoffs in his rookie season.
Not bad for a seventh pick! He's bringing that playoff and championship experience to the roster on his fourth team.
"Every journey getting to the Finals is different," he said. "The goals that we set in July and what we want to do to get here, obviously, it was a special journey. And I think, for us, it's just a matter of getting back to our standard of play, you know, from Game 1 and just really making the most of this opportunity."
Barnes went on to praise the team's "reciliancy." In Game 1, he played 12 minutes, missing both of his shots. He's well aware that he and the rest of the team will need to be better in Game 2 against the Knicks.
