The Sacramento Kings handily took down the Cleveland Cavaliers 132-120 on Monday night, with impressive performances from all starters except for one. Four of five starters poured in 20+ points in the Kings' dominant performance, but veteran F Harrison Barnes was the odd man out.
Barnes chipped in just four points on 2-4 shooting, as he was a complete non-factor in the win over Cleveland. The 31-year-old forward played 22 minutes, his lowest of the season, as he logged zero fourth-quarter minutes.
Since dropping 31 points in the Kings' season opener, Barnes has struggled to find a rhythm, averaging just 8.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists with 41.8/31.3 shooting splits. Even when Fox was sidelined due to injury, Barnes failed to step up and take the lead in a struggling offense.
Kings fans continue to lose hope in the veteran wing, and as the trade deadline approaches, there will be many rumors circulating that the Kings are shopping Barnes.
While Barnes does not need to take 10+ shots per game, especially when the other starters are firing on all cylinders, the Kings need to see Barnes contributing in every other way possible.
Barnes has been one of the most consistent players in the league since leaving the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 off-season, and the Kings need that consistency from him if they want to make a deep playoff run. If Barnes continues to be streaky, then Sacramento could be better off moving him at the trade deadline.
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