Harrison Barnes’ last game for the Dallas Mavericks is one he’ll probably never forget.
With the NBA trade deadline less than 24 hours away, a flurry of deals occurred, with the biggest trade of the night happening between Sacramento and Dallas. Barnes was dealt to the Kings in exchange for forward Zach Randolph and sophomore small forward Justin Jackson.
The Kings are trading Justin Jackson and Zach Randolph to the Mavericks for Harrison Barnes, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 7, 2019
While the trade itself was notable, as Barnes is a talented player, the more immediate story was the fact Barnes was still in the middle of a game for Dallas when the news broke. Minutes after the trade was reported, NBA Twitter wondered if he was going to be pulled and be notified of the deal.
Harrison Barnes was on the court for the Mavericks when reports came down that he was traded. pic.twitter.com/YnqCbW3cuV
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 7, 2019
Harrison Barnes just got traded to the Kings, per @wojespn
He's currently sitting on the Mavs bench. This is awkward. pic.twitter.com/xFgF4YNGZ9
— SB Nation (@SBNation) February 7, 2019
Harrison Barnes remains on the Mavs’ bench at the moment. https://t.co/isxxYllWo6
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 7, 2019
And LeBron James complained about this too on Instagram:
https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob/status/1093370942036819968?s=19
Apparently, people in the stands were equally as confused about the awkward situation.
Sports in the social media age: As word is passing through smart phones about the trade in the works involving Harrison Barnes, Mavs fans keep pointing at the bench and one screamed at Rick Carlisle "Still gonna play him?'
— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) February 7, 2019
Throughout the ordeal – whether he knew about the trade or not – Barnes remained a pro.
Harrison Barnes has watched the entire fourth quarter from the Mavs’ bench and supported his soon-to-be former teammates.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 7, 2019
After the game, the 26-year-old, clearly informed of the deal, got the chance to say goodbye to fans and Mavs staff.
And Harrison Barnes says goodbye. 👋
(🎥: @TheKobeBeef)pic.twitter.com/DMDx8UHuP6
— theScore (@theScore) February 7, 2019
Barnes getting traded mid-game is a tough situation for all involved. At least he got to finish out the game, unlike former Montreal Canadiens forward Mike Cammalleri, who famously was pulled mid-game after getting dealt. If Barnes did know about the deal, maybe he used his time on the bench to take everything in one last time before heading to Sacramento. Regardless, it’s an odd ending to what was once a promising relationship between Barnes and Mavericks.
