Brazil guard Leandro Barbosa will sign with the Golden State Warriors for the upcoming season. An agreement to sign with the Warriors was reached on Wednesday.
Barbosa had gotten interest from the Miami Heat initially. However he decided to go with the Warriors. The deal is for one year and Barbosa will get the veterans minimum salary, according to ESPN.
The 2003-04 season was Barbosa’s first year in the NBA. He has played for the Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics, and the Phoenix Suns. Last season he was with the Suns. He averaged 7.5 points, 1.9 rebounds per game while shooting 42.7 percent from the field, 28 percent from behind the arc, and 79.5 percent from the free throw line in 20 games with the Suns last season, according to Sports Illustrated. Barbosa has averaged 11.9 points, 2.3 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game while shooting 46 percent from the floor, 39 percent from three-point range, and 82 percent from behind the arc in his 11-year career in the NBA.
Barbosa will play for Brazil in the FIBA World Cup which starts this weekend. He joins fellow NBA players Nene, Tiago Splitter, and Anderson Varejao on the Brazilian team. He told ESPN recently that he is just focused on the World Cup right now.
The signing of Barbosa is good news for the Warriors. They had been looking to have some depth at the guard position, and Barbosa will give them some depth at the guard position.