Harrison Barnes: Harrison Barnes says he wants to return to GS

The Warriors could save a full $2.7 million if they release Livingston by Thursday, but sources confirmed Tuesday that the club is definitely keeping the veteran point guard, who will thus earn a guaranteed $5.7 million next season‎.

For the first time in several seasons, the Philadelphia 76ers are expected to be players in free agency once July 1 rolls around.

The 2016 NBA Free Agency is all set to take place in a couple of days, and new rumors are suggesting that Harrison Barnes could leave the Golden State Warriors next season. Unrestricted free agent Kevin Durant has Golden State as one of his three presumed finalists, as well as the Miami Heat and his current employer the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Their tanking coma evidently over, the Sixers have almost $50 million in salary cap space and are going to be “serious suitors” for the restricted free agent forward, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports. Like near the max of $22 million paid. He would certainly be asked to create more on this Sixers team, and that’s something he’s not used to and may not be comfortable with.

Does Harrison Barnes’s surprising inclusion on Team USA signal that the Sixers could be a player in landing his services this summer? The Sixers are already loaded in the front court with Ben Simmons, Jerami Grant, and the expected arrival of Dario Saric. He’s been a key part of the Golden State Warriors’ success since going seventh overall in the 2012 NBA Draft out of the University of North Carolina. Barnes can defend multiple positions (including the 4) and makes threes at an above-average rate.

Golden State possesses $17 million-plus worth of cap space and has Stephen Curry on a notoriously team-friendly deal that will soon end and move him from a $12M-per-year player to one worth upwards of $30M annually.

Here’s the case: Barnes would get to be the new face of the franchise. Philadelphia should think long and hard for making a splash of this caliber.