Former rival could help Cavaliers win another title in proposed trade

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J.B. Bickerstaff, Cleveland Cavaliers. Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images /

In June of 2016, Koby Altman was the Director of Pro Personnel for the Cleveland Cavaliers, with a front-row seat to one of the greatest comebacks in NBA history. Down 3-1 to a Golden State Warriors team that won a record 73 games in the regular season, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving led the Cavs to three straight victories to bring Cleveland its first-ever NBA Championship.

There was a myriad of factors that contributed to the victory, from Draymond Green’s suspension to Andrew Bogut’s injury to superhuman offensive performances from James and Irving. The Cavaliers’ defense also stepped up, shifting to slow down the Splash Brothers and leaving open the Warriors’ role player, including Harrison Barnes. If Barnes hit his career average on 3-pointers across that three-game comeback the Warriors win; instead, he went 1-for-11 in Games 5 and 6 combined and the Cavs came all the way back.

The Cleveland Cavaliers were spurred to a title in 2016 in part because of Harrison Barnes.

Barnes has since established himself as more than simply a fifth-starter, growing as a player and finding a home in Sacramento as a top-flight two-way wing. He’s not efficient enough to lead an offense, but he has a deep bag of offense and an improved 3-point shot, and defensively he has always been strong and versatile. He’s the kind of player any team would love to have on their roster.

As the Sacramento Kings have finally become a winning team this season, Barnes has been somewhat shifted out as a key player. Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox run one of the NBA’s best offenses, while Keegan Murray was drafted fourth overall this past summer and looks like the heir to Barnes’ spot in the lineup. The Kings can and have played them together, but it’s also possible the Kings are open to moving Barnes rather than re-sign him, moving Murray into more of a featured role.

If so, Koby Altman would be one of the first teams calling about Barnes. Let’s see what a trade could look like and if the Cavaliers have enough ammunition to get it done.