Rumor: Barnes to the Lakers according to Wojo- 1 year for $1.7 million

[BostonIrishGuy]

The Lakers are unfortunately having a solid offseason. If they do indeed have signed Barnes, he is a solid defensive pickup for him and they immediately become more physical. They already picked up Blake at PG, who is very solid and a good 3pt shooter, and Theo Ratliff who can come off the bench and provide some minutes in the low block.

Ainge needs to step it up and get us some good pickups. We need to be ready to play to the level of the Lakers and the Heat.

[aporel#18]

Great. The Lakers have had a fantastic offseason while we have taken a step back. Very disappointing.

They had a fantastic offseason? The Lakers?

Matt Barnes isn't that good.

He is better than any of our backup wings on the bench.

mmm... Gaffney and Harangody (if you count him as a 3) haven't played a minute in the NBA. How are you so sure Barnes is better than those kids? 

If the C's get out of Stackhouse, Rodney Carney, T-Mac or Jarvis Hayes, I'm ok. If they could get Josh Howard or Battier, it would be great. Barnes didn't impress a lot playing with the Magic, he started and all, but Pietrus was 20x better than him.

Barnes (in my opinion) has played well in the past, but this doesn't offer a bigger guarantee of good playing time, defense and shooting from him than with Joe Alexander, Damien Wilkins and Adam Morrison, whose moustache is also better. 

He would be a nice 9th or 10th man, but he won't play for the C's and the C's need  a 6th/7th type of player; Josh Howard could fill that role if healthy, and Shane Battier would be nice also. It's not like the Celtics have missed on a big star.

The Celtics won't sub Paul Pierce with Harangody or Gaffney. There's a lot to be seen yet. Enjoy the ride.

Tony Gaffney left UMass in the spring of 2009. IF, big if, he is playing in the league next year it will be in his first NBA games. If Gaffney was better than Barnes, my guess here is he would have been playing in the league last year.

While I wouldn't mind Barnes and think it's no great loss if we do not get him, let's not start so understating his skills that we are even thinking for a second that Harangody or Gaffney could contribute more to this team this year than Barnes could have. They just aren't even in the league of NBA role player yet.

  wow, I thought it was clear I was joking. I must improve my english this summer.

I meant that we had no real rotation wings on our bench yet, now they signed Marquis, and there's a thread Daniels vs. Barnes. Still, Marquis is not our 3rd wing, 6th/7th man, he's more of a 9th/10th man, and 4th wing. We still need Josh Howard, Shane Battier type of player.

There's a lot of panic, I think we all better relax and enjoy. In the worst case, we'll end up with some vet min C and SF.

About Gaffney and Harangody, I don't think they'll play a single minute in green, and their value will be higher as trade filler than with the rock lobsters.

Peace...

[obnoxiousmime]

I think the significant thing we're finding out this offseason is the perception change. Boston, despite almost winning the championship, is no longer perceived as a team that will be competing for titles in the future and players are not taking discounts to play for them over the Lakers or Heat. Fair or not, nobody sees Boston as one of the top contending teams to be on anymore.

That's why I was really hoping the Superfriends didn't make a Superteam. If they had stayed more or less on their old teams and Bosh went to say, Houston or something, they would not be considered certain contenders over the Celtics, even if the Celts are aging.

[Mike-Dub]

Another good signing for the Lakers.  In all honesty I'm not surprised at all that he took more money than we could offer and the better weather.  I'm surprised he was considering Boston in the first place because it's been said that Barnes would rather play in the warm weather cities, when he isn't getting a much better offer from a cold city.

[crafty213]

Barnes has been on 8 teams in 8 years.  Never put up significant stats on even the bad teams he was on.  A highly overrated player.