OAKLAND — Harrison Barnes and the Warriors concluded discussions about a contract extension and will not reach an agreement by the Nov. 2 deadline, making him a restricted free agent next summer.
General manager Bob Myers said Tuesday that negotiations with Barnes’ agent ended the previous day on “very amicable” terms as the player wanted to focus on the start of the regular season.
Owner Joe Lacob had said of a report that Barnes, 23, turned down an initial four-year, $64 million offer from the team, “Let’s just say it’s in the ballpark.”
“It doesn’t change our position with him,” Myers said. “We’re still very intent on revisiting it in July when we have an opportunity to do it. We still view him as a core member of the team in the long term.”
The Warriors can still re-sign Barnes in the summer or match any offer sheet he signs with another team. That is also the time when the salary cap will make a large jump and enable teams to potentially extend offers of more money to the 6-foot-8 forward than the Warriors had offered.
“I let my agent worry about all that kind of stuff,” Barnes said. “The goal was to try to get something done, but now that the season’s here, it’s solely about basketball. The contract stuff, put that all aside.
“There’s a lot riding on this season, just in terms of the possibility of going back-to-back.
“After this season, hopefully after another parade, we can do this again.”
Contract extension negotiations with the Warriors’ other first-round pick in 2012, center Festus Ezeli, continue, according to Myers.
For more on the Warriors, see the Inside the Warriors blog at www.ibabuzz.com/warriors. Follow Diamond Leung on Twitter at twitter.com/diamond83.
