Barnes Signs With The Lakers

RJM · Post #1 » by **RJM** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 1:39 am

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=y ... rnes072210

Free-agent forward Matt Barnes has reached agreement on a two-year, $3.6 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Barnes will likely sign the contract on Friday. The deal will pay him $1.7 million next season and give him a player option for $1.9 million in 2011-12.

The Cleveland Cavaliers had guaranteed $7 million over two years with a team option for a third season, but Barnes wanted more guaranteed money to sign with a non-championship contender. Cleveland refused to improve its offer and ultimately was willing to let Barnes go to a lower bidder.

The Lakers also signed veteran center Theo Ratliff(notes) on Thursday.

Barnes announced earlier in the week he was signing with the Toronto Raptors, but a sign-and-trade deal that would have paid him $9 million over two years fell apart.

Awesome. Roster now looks like this:

PG: Derek Fisher/Steve Blake/Sasha Vujacic
SG: Kobe Bryant/Matt Barnes/Shannon Brown [Pending]
SF: Ron Artest/Lamar Odom/Devin Ebanks
PF: Pau Gasol/Lamar Odom/Luke Walton
C: Andrew Bynum/Pau Gasol/Theo Ratliff

Looks damned good.

CowsMoo · Post #2 » by **CowsMoo** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 1:43 am

finally, some guard versatility. amazing how barnes and kobe were going at it just months ago

Hunter103 · Post #3 » by **Hunter103** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 1:45 am

Wow Ratliff too? That was unexpected.

Gek · Post #4 » by **Gek** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 1:45 am

Do we have any rights on Brown post LLE opt-out?

notinbtnet · Post #5 » by **notinbtnet** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 1:47 am

G=K wrote:Do we have any rights on Brown post LLE opt-out?

We have Shannon's early bird rights, so we can pay him up to the MLE if we choose to do so. Don't expect it to happen though.

Venomspain · Post #6 » by **Venomspain** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 1:50 am

This is a really great offseason for the lakers pretty good roster threepeat anyone?

PG : Derek Fisher/ Steve Blake/ Sasha Vujacic
SG: Bryant/ Sasha Vujacic/ Matt Barnes
SF : Ron Artest/ Matt Barnes / Luke Walton / Devin Ebanks
PF : Pau Gasol/ Lamar Odom / Derrick Caracter
C : Andrew Bynum / Theo Ratliff /

b shaw20 · Post #7 » by **b shaw20** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 1:51 am

not sure if we got much better w these 2 signings, basketball wise. But we def got a bit tougher, nastier in the defensive end.

Hoping Theo's got at least some fumes in the tank.

KingLakers · Post #8 » by **KingLakers** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 1:51 am

Shannon's gone there isn't any room left for him on the roster.He'll probably go to Bulls.

Post #9 » by **TyCobb** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 1:51 am

He knows we're getting Chris Paul.

Optms · Post #10 » by **Optms** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 1:54 am

Man, I love the work Mitch has been doing for the bench this off season.

A solid bench supporting a pretty damn starting five just gives us all more room to be optimistic next season. I'm loving it. I can't wait for the season to begin already!

Gek · Post #11 » by **Gek** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 1:55 am

TyCobb wrote:He knows we're getting Chris Paul.

SO LAKERS TRADE KOBE FOR CP3? GOT IT!.

iamworthy · Post #12 » by **iamworthy** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 1:55 am

with addition of Blake and Barnes, this team is better than last year.

96 Til Infiniti · Post #13 » by **96 Til Infiniti** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 1:59 am

iamworthy wrote:with addition of Blake and Barnes, this team is better than last year.

And the addition by subtraction of Jordan Farmar. 8-)

chefy · Post #14 » by **chefy** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 2:00 am

woah mitch is a feakin beast!

brandonkb8 · Post #15 » by **brandonkb8** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 2:03 am

I still want shannon.

desertlakerfan · Post #16 » by **desertlakerfan** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 2:03 am

Very nice pick up.

If we can somehow convince Buss to keep Brown as well we'll be extremely deep, but if not we're still much deeper than we were last year.

Hunter103 · Post #17 » by **Hunter103** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 2:07 am

G=K wrote:
TyCobb wrote:He knows we're getting Chris Paul.

SO LAKERS TRADE KOBE FOR CP3? GOT IT!.

Naw, now that Ratliff is signed Bynum is expendable. :lol:

Frantik · Post #18 » by **Frantik** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 2:07 am

This team is a definite upgrade over the previous championship squad. With this team, we are set for a 3peat.

Again:
Barnes > Shannon :: Caracter > Powell :: Ebanks > Morrison :: Artest > Artest
Blake > Farmar :: Ratliff = Mbenga

Fish/ Blake/ Sasha
Kobe/ Barnes
Artest/ Luke/ Ebanks
Pau/ LO/ Caracter
Bynum/ Ratliff

Not the best Mitch could have done, but its good enough to win it again. What we needed was defense and mean attitude. Mitch got us Barnes, Ratliff, Caracter, Ebanks...

All these guys have defense & aggressiveness written all over them. Right now, the only non-agressive punk we have on the team is LUKE WALTON...smh...

maryann8ginger · Post #19 » by **maryann8ginger** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 2:07 am

Very impressed with Kupchak's ability to rework the roster this summer.

Blake > Farmar
Barnes > Brown
Ratiff > Mbenga

Ebanks has to be better than Morrison
Caracter looked solid to replace Powell.

Plastered · Post #20 » by **Plastered** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 2:07 am

I'm excited about the defense we could potentially have on the floor:
blake - i think he's better guarding 2's than points to be honest, doesnt give up much ground and always contests
kobe - sagging off and clogging the lane as usual
barnes - kind of like sasha 2.0 always trying to get under peoples skin without fouling as much
artest - not much more to add here
pau - length alone is huge at the PF spot
bynum - i think we all forget how young he is
ratliff - good off the ball shot blocker
looks like an underrated off season, but ratliff barnes and blake give some much needed depth. all around good moves by mitch, now just need some scoring prowess off the bench