Matt Barnes played big for Los Angeles Clippers during the Western Conference semis with Houston Rockets which they eventually lost.
This why he wasn't involved in any NBA trade rumors before the end of the season.
However, when summer came, he was the first to be shipped. He is now with Memphis Grizzlies after getting traded along with Spencer Hawes to the Charlotte Hornets for Lance Stephenson. He was then shipped to Memphis for Luke Ridnour.
Barnes and his new team will visit Staples Arena on November 9 and he is excited about it. He is not just looking forward to match against his former teammates but more specifically for Doc Rivers who he said was eager to trade the moment he landed the coaching job in 2013.
"Doc never wanted me," Barnes told NBA.com. "He couldn't wait to get rid of me. Doc and I never saw eye to eye. He tried to get me out of there the second he got there, so it wasn't too surprising to me what happened when things went south."
The 35-year old defender also emphasized the fact that he was the first from the team to be kicked out of the line up despite the fact there was no NBA trade rumors about him.
"I was the first trade of the summer," said Barnes. "Like I said, he couldn't wait.
Although he is holding a grudge against his former coach, he insists he is committed to the Grizzlies. He also thinks he'll be a perfect to his new team because of their emphasis on defense.
"I think so," said Barnes when asked if he will stay as the defensive specialist for a team that already has high scoring players like Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph.
"I've always respected this team and what it does in order to win. This is a defense-first team. I've never been on a team that paid this much attention to defensive detail. It's something I appreciate and a place where I think I will thrive."
Matt Barnes played for three years with Clippers. In his last year, he averaged 10.1 points per game and 4.0 rebounds.
