The Golden State Warriors plan to sign controversial free agent Matt Barnes in the wake of Kevin Durant’s devastating knee injury on Tuesday. Durant, 28, will miss the rest of the regular season with what the team doctor is calling a hyperextended knee.
Durant suffered the injury when his teammate, center Zaza Pachulia, fell on his left leg in the 1st quarter of the Warriors vs Washington Wizards game on Tuesday. The Warriors lost to the Wizards 112-108.
The Sacramento Kings, who signed Barnes before the start of the 2016-17 season, is expected to waive the troublesome star to create roster space for three players.
“It’s a dream come true!” Barnes told The Undefeated‘s Marc J. Spears. “I feel like I helped start something in ’07, and now I’m coming back to help finish it.”
Barnes told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that he will sign a contract for the rest of the season.
The father-of-2 expressed his excitement in an Instagram post on Tuesday, calling this “the happiest day of my life” after the birth of his twins.
The 36-year-old veteran player was drafted in the second round of the 2002 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. He previously played for over a dozen pro teams including a short stint with the Warriors in 2007. He has now played for all 4 California NBA teams.
