76ers Sign Free Agent Forward Matt Barnes
Posted on Dec. 9, 2005
Philadelphia 76ers President Billy King announced today that the team has signed free agent forward Matt Barnes. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.
A 6-foot-7, 226-pound forward, Barnes returns to Philadelphia for his second stint with the team after being part of the deal that brought current forwards Michael Bradley and Chris Webber to the Sixers from Sacramento in exchange for Brian Skinner, Kenny Thomas and Corliss Williamson on Feb. 23, 2005. Barnes never appeared in a game for the Sixers, spending 24 games on the injured list with left knee tendinitis and registered four DNP-coach’s decisions in his 28 games with the team.
For his career, Barnes has averaged 4.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 17.6 minutes per game in 87 contests (23 starts). Throughout his NBA career, he has played for four different teams: Los Angeles Clippers (2003-04), Sacramento Kings (2004-05), the Sixers (2004-05) and the New York Knicks (2005-06).
Barnes began his third season in the NBA with New York, where in six games (five starts) he averaged 4.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 15.5 minutes per game. He shot 36.7 percent (11-30 FG) from the floor, had a season-best seven points, at Boston (11/2), and a season-high eight rebounds, vs. Washington (11/4). He was waived by New York on Dec. 3.
Drafted in the second round (46th pick overall) of the 2002 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies, Barnes had his draft rights traded along with Nick Anderson to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Wesley Person. After being waived by Cleveland in October of 2002, he spent the remainder of the 2002-03 season in the NBA Development League playing for the Fayetteville Patriots. Barnes spent the 2003-04 season in with the Clippers, where he appeared in 38 games. He began the 2004-05 season playing in 43 games for the Kings before being traded to Philadelphia where he ended the season.
During his collegiate career, Barnes played four seasons at UCLA where he averaged 8.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game in 121 contests (66 starts).