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The veteran forward exercised his player option for the 2011/12 season.
It wasn't exactly earth-shattering news, as it was expected for over a month, but Matt Barnes made it official on Wednesday. The forward will return to the Lakers for one more year, exercising his option to return to the team for the 2011-2012 season. Barnes will make roughly $1.9 million next season.
When head coach Mike Brown was hired last month, Barnes told reporters at that time of his intention to remain a Laker, so today's news was no surprise. Barnes played in 53 games for the Lakers last season, and was one of their primary weapons off the bench, especially defensively. He averaged 6.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 0.7 steals per game in 19.2 minutes last season. Barnes also missed two months after undergoing knee surgery in January.
For more news and information on Matt Barnes and the Lakers, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Silver Screen and Roll.
Backup small forward Matt Barnes has decided to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2011/12 NBA season, reports Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles. The former UCLA Bruin announced Tuesday his intention to exercise his player option, saying, "I'll be a Laker next year. I always knew what I was going to do."
Following one-year stints with the Phoenix Suns and Orlando Magic, the journeyman signed a two-year contract with the Lakers in the summer of 2010, with the second year at his option. For him, the decision to stay was easy.
In 53 appearances as a Laker, Barnes averaged 6.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 19.2 minutes per game. For the first time in his eight-year career, Barnes did not start any games, as Ron Artest was firmly entrenched as the team's top small forward.
According to ShamSports' salary database, Barnes' choice to remain a Laker guarantees him a little more than $1.9 million next season.
Matt Barnes Shoots Down Rumors He's Dating Eva Longoria
by Ernie Pomin
Los Angeles Lakers small forward Matt Barnes has been making his rounds during the NBA Lockout, including some elbow rubbing with some of the hottest stars in hollywood. Rumors began to swirl that Barnes was having an intimate relationship with actress Eva Longoria, though Barnes made sure to squash the rumors before they got out of hand.
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Nov 02 11:50a