Tuesday, July 13th, 2010 at 10:30 am  |  27 responses

Matt Barnes on Staying in Orlando: ‘It Doesn’t Look Good’

The signing of Q-Rich by the Magic made the writing on the wall for Barnes quite clear, as he explains to the Orlando Sentinel: “Barnes has said all along that his first choice is to remain with the Magic, but the news today that the Magic had agreed to a deal with 6-foot-6 wing Quentin Richardson likely indicated that Barnes’ time with the Magic is done. ‘Honestly, it doesn’t look good,’ said Barnes, who had opted out of the final year of his two-year deal to test the free-agent market. ‘Like I said in the beginning, right when the season was ending, I was taking a chance by opting out,’ Barnes said. ‘But with everything going on with the collective bargaining agreement next year, I just felt this would be the best situation to kind of make a little bit of money before they change all the rules about that. But this is a business. From Day One, I think I’ve known that maybe a little better than anybody else in the NBA. So, if they choose not to bring me back, I always say a team’s got to do what’s best for their organization. That’s kind of the way I look at that.’ To his credit, Barnes didn’t express any bitterness toward the Magic when I spoke with him this afternoon.”

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  • mikee Posted: Jul.13 at 10:39 am
    Go to the Lakers!

  • Kap Posted: Jul.13 at 10:44 am
    He would be great in LA

  • hobbes Posted: Jul.13 at 10:44 am
    Be Ron’s back up? Luke will earn his 5 mill easy next year~ Well he fit better on Denver, the thugish style cant be changed!

  • cramzy Posted: Jul.13 at 10:50 am
    get on it riles!

  • Groves Posted: Jul.13 at 10:50 am
    we want you back matt

  • Justin Posted: Jul.13 at 10:52 am
    He’d be an absolutely excellent role player for the Heat’s trio if he would take a bit of a pay cut

  • ab_40 Posted: Jul.13 at 11:29 am
    if the lakers sign raja bell and this guy they’ll have three of what eight guys who have succesfully slowed down kobe the last few years. He’ll end up just fine dallas or san antonio would be a good fit too these teams can use some of that gritt and toughness he brings. He’ll be fine but it’s a shame it has to end like this I thought he really had something good going on in orlando.

  • Dma Posted: Jul.13 at 11:36 am
    Orlando offered him a $2M contract which he turned down. There’s a reason nobody has or will give you a long-term contract idiot.

  • LDR4 Posted: Jul.13 at 11:57 am
    The Lakers, Kobe actually, want Raja Bell. They have $1.8 mil left of their MLE. This is probably in the ballpark of what Barnes should make with whatever team he signs with. With his back issues I dont think he would be offered more. But who knows…

  • Kap Posted: Jul.13 at 12:28 pm
    With Barnes or Bell the Lakers roster is looking sick if they sign their super rookies Ebanks and Caracter. I still think they need one more 7 foot shot blocker to solidify the roster.

  • LA Huey Posted: Jul.13 at 12:34 pm
    @Kap, solidify a 2-peat (going on 3) roster? Like X said, “Stop being greedy” =)

  • The Seed Posted: Jul.13 at 12:42 pm
    Matt Barnes would be a nice addition to the Lakers, I could see it, but I would rather have Raja Bell.

  • unrel Posted: Jul.13 at 12:51 pm
    speaking of Raja.. he’s meeting with kobe tomorrow..

  • Jahi Posted: Jul.13 at 2:02 pm
    Before individuals stoop the the level of referring to human beings as “thugs”, they should consider learning the definition of thug. It’s so easy to pick up a dictionary, a learn a word. For the slow learners in cyber world, the next time you decide to refer to individuals as “thugs”, first consider that the Merriam Dictionary defines a thug as a “hoodlum”>”ruffian”>”brute without the power of reasoning, a beast”. Think twice before referring to folks as “brutes”…

  • unrel Posted: Jul.13 at 2:29 pm
    ^ and besides.. barnes is far from a thug (in the loose way it’s probably being meant to be used)… the nuggets are actually a tough group.. not afraid of anyone out west.. whereas barnes reminds me of a R&B dude on a rap label… he’s that friend of yours that gets in fights or talk ish on the court.. but you guys have to bail him out of it..

  • JTaylor21 Posted: Jul.13 at 2:58 pm
    Who ever said that luke will earn his 5 milli next year is stupid. Luke hasn’t earned anything in his career. he is just riding his overrated pops

  • Ddub Posted: Jul.13 at 3:21 pm
    do you mean the overated pops w/1,2,3,5,5,RINGS?
    DAMM LEGONE AND WADE BIS SO DETERMINE TO CATCH HIM THEY HAD TO TEAM UP,I THOUGHT THAT TO BE GREAT,YOU BEAT YOUR GREATEST RIVALS, NOT JOIN THEM!!

  • T.O.M. Posted: Jul.13 at 3:37 pm
    Ddub cool out history proves a lot pay attention. Barnes check it heat Lakers Knicks simple. Go get that ring.

  • unrel Posted: Jul.13 at 5:12 pm
    @JTaylor.. i think whoever said that he’d make his money easy.. as in.. not have to do anything.. but in luke’s defense… he’s well liked by the coaching staff.. besides fish and kobe.. knows the offense the best.. and keeps it fluid when he isn’t hurt.. let’s remember.. not all players are paid for what they do in games.. but for what they do during practice and so on.. mark madsen, anyone?.. but dude made shaq work hard in practice..

  • T-Money Posted: Jul.13 at 5:31 pm
    i feel for matt. the guy just cant get any job security while scrub wings everywhere keep getting 5 year contracts. i don’t even think he wants top dollars, he just wants years. then again, there MUST be something holding teams for giving him that kind of security.

  • Jeff K. Posted: Jul.13 at 7:24 pm
    Barnes should go to the Clippers. They need a better defensive option at the number three spot and I have always liked his game. Plus, he gets to “fake throw” the ball at Kobe’s face at least five times a year!

  • Jukai Posted: Jul.13 at 7:39 pm
    T-Money: He’s a hot head. Simple as that. Not a locker room problem by any stretch of the imagination, but he loses his head on the court so many times that it’s just not worth giving him top dollar.
    Not to say I wouldn’t mind seeing him on the Suns again, or Hornets or Knicks or Heat or any of the teams I like to root for (or, in the Heat’s case, will root for out of spite)

  • Eduardo Posted: Jul.13 at 8:43 pm
    Dallas!

  • Sporting-Lisbon-Blazers Posted: Jul.14 at 12:50 am
    Jukai: ULTIMATE BANDWAGONER!

  • Iain_i20 Posted: Jul.14 at 7:02 am
    Matt barnes is the worst player in the world, not the nba, the WORLD.

  • j-nuggz Posted: Jul.14 at 1:05 pm
    Barnes is a good player, especially on defense. as a magic fan i hope they can resign him. if he cant get the money anywhere else, then why leave? he brings an awesome level of intensity that cant be measured in a stat line onto the court. he has balls too, but i agree with jukai that it isnt always a good thing, or even smart. it is good to have a player that wont be pushed around or intimidated. the way he gaurded kobe last year was great, i thought he should have been ejected though for the fake pass to kobes face, since it shoul have been a second tech

  • Gmez Posted: Jul.15 at 1:45 am
    Raja wouldve been best of the 2. I know it’s early but I’m liking the rookies they should give the Lakers more productive minutes than Powell,Mbenga & Morrison gave them.

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