By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
J. J. Barea was quoted to say on his potential future that “Spain is always an option” while discussing his frustration with the fact that he barely played in the Dallas Mavericks’ playoff series vs. the Los Angeles Clippers.
A 14-year NBA veteran and champion in 2011, Barea will be looking to find a team that will provide him the role and playing time he wants. If that destination isn’t in the NBA, then it might be in ACB.
Puerto Rican agent Christian Santaella, a friend of Barea, told El Nuevo Dia that the player has been talking with three Spanish clubs these last couple of weeks. “For two weeks, we have had conversations with teams from Spain. Yes, there’s interest from three teams,” Santaella said.
Santaella also mentioned that 36-year-old Barea’s priority will be to stay in the NBA and that leaving the league to continue in Spain will be the “worst-case scenario.”
“Jose isn’t going to let his NBA chapter close like this. He has basketball left and I understand that he can play 15 to 18 minutes of high-level game. This season, his time on the court was productive. He didn’t play much because the team wanted to give young people more opportunities. I think some NA team is going to offer him a one-year deal. In the worst-case scenario, he will go to play in the ACB where there are teams that have asked for him.”
Santaella added that Barea will decide where he’s going to play “in the months of November and December.” By then, the season in Europe will be well underway in both domestic and continental level.
Barea was coming off an Achilles tendon rupture in 2019-2020. He played 29 games in the regular season, averaging 7.7 points, 3.9 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 15.5 minutes. In the playoffs, he participated in Game 4 for five minutes.