Milwaukee Bucks: 3 reasons to avoid Harrison Barnes in trade talks
By Dalton Sell
Milwaukee Bucks: 3 reasons to avoid Harrison Barnes in trade talks – Barnes doesn’t address playmaking needs
The Bucks being linked to names such as Chris Paul and Victor Oladipo this offseason makes sense because they need a skillful playmaker. With Giannis Antetokounmpo doing a significant portion of the playmaking, getting another floor general to alleviate some pressure off of him was presumably high on Milwaukee’s wishlist.
Harrison Barnes, on the other hand, averaged just 2.2 assists per game this season, a number that is not going to address the team’s playmaking issues in the slightest. That number from Barnes was actually a career-best from the 28-year-old, beating his previous career-high 2.0 assists in the 2017-18 season.
Accumulating just a 1.6 assists per game total over his ongoing eight-year career, it goes without saying the Barnes is not the playmaker Milwaukee needs. The veteran has never been a primarily ball-handler, and unless your name is Giannis Antetokounmpo, a power forward in today’s game will rarely lead their team in assists per game.
Acquiring Bogdan Bogdanovic alongside Barnes would make it a bit of an easier sell, given that the Serbian international has averaged 3.5 assists per game over his first three seasons. Still, the playmaking concerns are there with Barnes, but his massive salary might even be more of a cause for concern.