The veteran point guard in talks with Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets, and says that he will return to Brazil in case there are no takers in NBA....
Although the offseason is about to come to an end and free agency is almost over as far as player signings are concerned, there are still some players in the market who are looking for a new home. And out of all the players who
are yet to be signed to a team, Leandro Barbosa is one of the more experienced and talented ones.
Barbosa is a nine year veteran in the NBA and was a regular backup guard for the Phoenix Suns up till 2010, when he joined the Toronto Raptors. He is one of the best backup guards in the league, and was one of the core players
on the bench during the Steve Nash era, when the Suns made numerous trips to the NBA playoffs.
Nowadays, the Brazilian native who played for his home country in the 2012 London Olympics, is looking for a new home and has a few teams interested in him.
Talking to UOL Esporte, a publication in his home country, Barbosa said:
“Among others, I’m talking with Phoenix, the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers. Steve Nash even texted me because he wants me there.”
Nash has a long relationship with Barbosa from the Phoenix days and realizes the potential of the Brazilian star. He would love to have him as his backup in Los Angeles. However, the Lakers already have a huge salary commitment
over the next few years, and if at all, they will be willing to only offer him the veteran’s minimum contract.
Barbosa feels that he deserves more than the veteran’s minimum, which is probably the reason why he has not found a new home yet. He added that if he is unable to land a new contract in the NBA, he would return to his home country
and play in the local league next season. However, he wants to put in a clause that would allow him to return to the NBA whenever an NBA team offers him a contract. It’s clear where the priorities lie for the veteran guard.
Barbosa averages 12.5 points, 2.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds over the course of his NBA career and would be a welcome addition to the bench of any NBA team.
Tags: