Tobias Harris' arrival left forgotten Spurs player with only one way to survive

The addition of veteran power forward Tobias Harris could be just what the San Antonio Spurs needed but could also spell trouble for a forgotten member of the team.

Harris' arrival signals the end of a consistent role for veteran Harrison Barnes. Barnes was a starter for the Spurs for a season and a half before being benched in favor of Julian Champagnie.

He played sparingly in the postseason, and with the addition of Harris, his role may continue to diminish next season. Champagnie and Harris are likely to split minutes at power forward, with Carter Bryant potentially earning spot minutes there as well. None of that bodes well for Barnes.

Tobias Harris was brought in to replace Harrison Barnes

As a result, Barnes may simply be a veteran presence who occasionally plays in blowouts and if the Spurs are short-handed. Bringing Barnes back in that role is still a wise move by the Spurs.

Even so, he may not be completely washed up as a player. After being benched last season, he shot an impressive 44.3% from three on 4.1 attempts per game. That is close to what he shot during his first season with the Spurs.

He didn't get much of a chance to show what he can do in the playoffs, but Barnes could still be a decent regular-season contributor in a smaller role. Therefore, Spurs fans shouldn't write him off as another Bismack Biyombo, who rarely played last season.

Harris' arrival left Harrison Barnes with only one way to survive

Barnes, despite being buried behind Champagnie and Harris in the depth chart, may still carve out a role. After all, he is still the best 3-point shooter on the team.

For that reason, he is still a valuable player next season. Remember, the Spurs had that nightmarish shooting slump back in January around the same time Barnes cooled down from outside.

After moving to the bench and coming back from injury, his shot returned. The Spurs ended up closing out the regular season on a tear, going 25-5 in their final 30 games. That all can't be attributed to Barnes, though his shooting clearly has an impact on the Spurs.

As a result, San Antonio shouldn't completely give up on Barnes. He may not be the same sharpshooter who helped unlock the starting lineup two seasons ago, but he is still the team's best 3-point threat.

Playing him spot minutes at the four, rather than having a regular spot in the rotation, might be the best option. San Antonio would still play Champagnie and Harris ahead of him. However, playing Barnes in sporadic five-minute stretches would still allow him to contribute and give the Spurs added shooting.

Ultimately, the Silver and Black signing Harris could spell bad news for Barnes. Despite that, his elite shooting should keep him from falling out of the rotation entirely.

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