Amid all the empty threats of NBA players heading en masse overseas during the current lockout, Lakers forward Matt Barnes remained one of the lone exceptions in hope of fully rehabilitating his surgically repaired right knee.

But with the NBA missing at least the month of November because of the work stoppage, Barnes acknowledged in a phone interview Thursday that he might change his mind.

"If the lockout continues or there ever comes to a point where we know the season will be canceled, that would be something I would look at," said Barnes, who exercised his $1.91 million option to play for the Lakers in the 2011-2012 season. "I want to play basketball. I would love to play here first. But if I can't, I would play overseas."

Such talk, he said, has been only preliminary  with his agent, Aaron Goodwin. For now, Barnes has kept himself busy enough this week for his cancer foundation sponsoring an exhibition game Saturday featuring the 2007 Golden State Warriors versus the current team Saturday at the San Jose State Events Center.  Had Barnes enjoyed a healthy offseason, he said he "wouldn't have been one of the first guys to jump to play overseas." Instead, he'd still wait and see if the league salvages part of the season.

"I've scratched and clawed to stay in the NBA," said Barnes, who has played on nine teams in his eight-year career. "My goal has always been not to go overseas. Going overseas isn't a punishment. It's a chance to play. I'm still battling that in my head to make it OK. It's been a roller coaster for me to stick in this league. My goal from Day 1 was not to go overseas to play basketball because I know I'm good enough to play here. But now that basketball is not going on here, going overseas is an option if the lockout lingers."

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--Mark Medina

E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com and follow the Lakers blog on Facebook

Photo: Lakers forward Matt Barnes blocks a shot by New Orleans power forward Carl Landry, though a blocking foul was called on Lakers forward Lamar Odom, during Game 3 of the Western Conference first-round playoff series. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times / April 22, 2011

At about this time, I would've been writing preview posts for the Lakers' season opener tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In a few hours, I would've been driving to Staples Center, listening to Lakers talk on the radio and envisioning the beginning of another fun-filled season. Then I would've lived it, watching the game behind the basket, hosting our live game chat, tweeting updates and then talking to players in the locker room afterward.

Instead, I have to endlessly hear about basketball-related income, revenue sharing and amnesty clauses. Worse, I have to wonder when the season will ever start. It's surely a depressing time for basketball fans, and it got me thinking what I would've tweeted had this Lakers-Thunder game actually taken place...

When he made a defensive stop, Matt Barnes carried a swagger. When he drained a jumper, he exuded confidence. When Barnes talked trash, he showcased his fiery demeanor.

Those instances during a recent pickup game at Loyola Marymount University illustrated Barnes' positive progression this off-season in fully rehabbing his surgically repaired right knee, so much that he considers it 90% to 95% healthy. But that remaining 5% showed some limitations. Barnes misfired on plenty of shots and he often appeared tentative driving into the lane. 

"I'm very happy with where I was," said Barnes, who said he spent most of his off-season working on his shooting, ball-handling and dropping his weight from 230 pounds to 213. "I'm trying to be more versatile. Coming out of the triangle offense, it's going back to playing basketball per se."

Later that day at an hourlong core-strengthening and flexibility session at Barre Physique Manhattan Beach, Barnes showcased various strengths and weaknesses. He struggled maintaining balance on a single arm plank. He ran out of breath performing a "flatback" exercise, which involved maintaining his core balance while sitting against a wall. He often indicated his fatigue level after exercising his feet and arms on a balance beam.

Don't be fazed by the video above, however. As someone who continually exercises his core, albeit to a lesser degree than Barnes, I personally understand the deceptiveness behind such apparently simple exercises. They prove more difficult because of the quick timing between drills and the emphasis it places on strictly maintaining balance. As for Barnes, his work with trainer Lisa Torres revealed his determination in successfully completing the exercises despite considering it "one of the toughest workouts I've had." 

"I'm starting to feel everything around my surgically repaired knee strengthen," said Barnes, who added he often engages in sand runs and dumbbell exercises. "I'm still repairing my core. When I went down, I shut everything off and couldn't do anything. ... I'm rebuilding everything I had and more."

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-- Mark Medina

Email the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

Amid the fiery rhetoric, sagging popularity and lost paychecks among owners, players and concession workers, it remains hard to find a silver lining regarding the NBA lockout.

Lakers forward Matt Barnes sees otherwise. Oh, he wishes the season would start on time so he can help avenge the team's poor 2011 postseason performance all right. But in the pure interest of having enough time to rehab his surgically repaired right knee, the prolonged work stoppage has done wonders. So much that he considers his knee 90-95% healthy after scrimmaging Tuesday at Loyola Marymount University followed with an hour-long core-strengtening and flexibility session at Barre Physique Manhattan Beach.

"I’m starting to feel the spring coming back," Barnes said of his right knee, which suffered a lateral meniscus tear Jan. 7 against New Orleans. "I can still tell I’m not all the way back because when I go to the basket, I have to time myself to dunk. Before, it was just an afterthought. I’m pretty close. It’s probably another couple of weeks before I’m attacking the basket like I used to."

It's at least a better alternative than what faced Barnes last season. 

The first sign of whether the Golden State Warriors will thrive under a new coach and a new ownership won't arise in training camp or even next season.

It will happen at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 5 at the San Jose State Event Center, where the current team will match up with the 2007 squad -- a fan favorite because of its first-round playoffs upset as an eighth seed against the top-ranked Dallas Mavericks.

Lakers forward Matt Barnes, who played for the 2007 team, will be putting together a list of players until Monday, but there are already a handful who have committed.

That includes current Warriors Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry, David Lee, Dorrell Wright, Lou Amundson, Charlie Bell and Jeremy Bell. Participants from the the 2007 squad include Jason Richardson, Ike Diogu and Al Harrington.

The list also includes some other former Golden State players, such as Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and C.J. Watson.

And, of course, it includes Barnes himself, who plans to donate the proceeds to his foundation, Athletes vs. Cancer, which raises funds for local health screenings.

RELATED:

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-- Mark Medina

E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

Photo: Lakers forward Matt Barnes will host a charity game featuring the current Golden State Warriors against the 2007 team. Barnes was a part of Golden State's 2007 squad. Credit: Gary A. Vasquez / US Presswire

In the wake of postponed wedding plans, a dropped domestic-violence charge and reality television show scrutiny, Lakers forward Matt Barnes announced in an emailed statement Monday that he and his fiancée, reality television star Gloria Govan, have mutually parted ways.

"I’d like to address the rumors surrounding mine and Gloria’s relationship," Barnes' statement read. "We have reached the difficult decision of ending our relationship and will be going our separate ways at this time. We will work together to raise our sons and wish each other only the best."

Because Barnes and Govan never married, it remains unclear to what degree they'd share custody of  their 3-year-old twins Carter Kelly and Isiah Michael, and whether they'd divide certain assets, including their Palos Verdes home. It also remains unclear if they'd continue working together with Athletes vs. Cancer, a foundation Barnes founded in 2008 that Govan has said raised $225,000 for local cancer-screening programs. Barnes and Govan could not be reached for further comment. 

The two appeared amicable during red-carpet appearances and when I spent a few hours at their house  filming Barnes getting a mohawk prior to the 2011 NBA playoffs. But there have been plenty of publicized incidents questioning the strength of their relationship. Barnes and Govan held off definitive wedding plans. Barnes was arrested last summer on suspicion of domestic violence in Sacramento, a charge the two publicly disputed and one the city's district attorney's office ultimately dropped. Govan's role with VH1's "Basketball Wives" created further attention and Internet reports about the nature of their relationship.

Perhaps the most telling sign regarding Barnes' feelings about Govan came last week during a Twitter exchange with a fan. That person suggested Barnes should marry her or else someone else will. Responded Barnes: "He can have her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Meanwhile, Govan retweeted the following message on Saturday: "If someone is dumb enough to walk away, be smart enough to let them go. Your destiny is never tied to anyone who leaves you."

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-- Mark Medina

Email the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

--The Times' Lance Pugmire, Mike Bresnahan and Broderick Turner surveyed front office executives, league officials, players, attorneys and others close to the game to get a sense of where the owners stand. Among their findings: Lakers owner Jerry Buss is a dove and that he has little revenue stream outside of basketball.

--The Times' Mike Downey gives a positive review to Jerry West's new autobiography.

--NBA.com's David Aldridge provides a detailed rundown of the NBA lockout, including an awesome Simpsons reference. 

--Sports Illustrated's Sam Amick criticizes the NBA for how it's handled the lockout. 

--The Orange County Register's Janis Carr talks to Matt Barnes at a charity event Saturday about the NBA lockout. 

--Fox Sports ranks Buss as the NBA's second best owner behind Dallas' Mark Cuban. Apparently winning one title means more than winning 10. 

--CBS Sports' Ben Golliver highlights the mess the NBA has made in trying to refute the notion that Blazers owner Paul Allen played a large role in ruining the momentum in Thursday's labor meeting. 

--Sheridan Hoops' Mark Heisler pokes fun at everything surrounding the NBA lockout and believes the season will still start on Dec. 1. 

--ESPN Los Angeles' Brian Kamenetzky travels to St. Louis to visit family and friends and realizes no one cares about the NBA lockout. 

--The Riverside Press Enterprise's David Lassen reports Mike Brown plans to add at least three more people to his coaching staff, including an assistant coach and two "player-development" guys.

--The Daily News' Elliott Teaford also details how Brown's kept busy this offseason.

--The Orange County Register's Randy Youngman takes a look at some of the excerpts from West's autobiography. 

--Forum Blue and Gold's Darius Soriano found a pretty cool Kobe Bryant montage in the video below:

Tweet of the Day: "Organizers of NBA stars global tour still scrambling this morning to get television distribution deal done, sources say ... Several players, Puerto Rico promoters, waiting for payments to be wired today. Tour may still happen, but typical cluster-you-know-what." -- WojYahooNBA(Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski

Rick Friedman Reader Comment of the Day: "The players have shown considerable flexibility in agreeing to a 4.5% collective pay cut and working out a number of smaller issues with the owners. By dragging out these negotiations, the owners are allowing their greed to cost them millions and millions of dollars. Somebody needs to save them from themselves." -- Michael Lichter

--Mark Medina

Email the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

Photo: Lakers owner Jerry Buss, left, is eager to get the season underway since he has few revenue streams outside of basketball. Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, center, and Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen are pushing for changes that they say will help small-market teams. CreditL: Patrick McDermott / Getty Images; Amy Sancetta / Associated Press; Ramin Talaie / Bloomberg.

With the NBA lockout appearing at a standstill, Lakers forward Matt Barnes will host an exhibition Nov. 5 at 6:30 p.m. at San Jose Events Center featuring the 2007 Golden State Warriors and the current team, according to Barnes' publicist, Courtney Merfeld.

Not all the details are finalized, including when tickets go on sale, how much they cost, which players have committed to playing and what portion of the proceeds will go to Barnes' foundation, Athletes vs. Cancer. Barnes, who's hosting the event with former Warriors guard Jason Richardson, originally hoped for the event to take place in late October, but Merfeld said more time was needed to put the event together.

The Warriors' 2007 team, which featured Barnes, remains memorable because of its first-round upset against the top-seeded Mavericks. With the current Warriors inheriting a new coach (Mark Jackson) and new ownership (Joe Lacob, Peter Guber), the story lines appear compelling.

"The guys are eager to play," Merfeld said. "They're going to be playing for charity as well. It's a win-win situation."

UPDATE 11:24 a.m. Tickets will go on sale on Monday. 

UPDATE 12:13 p.m. Tickets can be purchased through all Ticket master outlets, phones, internet and at the SJSU Event Center Box Office.  Student tickets are only available through the Event Center Box Office.

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Five things Matt Barnes needs for a successful season

Matt Barnes channels grief over mom's death into his foundation

-- Mark Medina

Email the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

Photo: Lakers forward Matt Barnes played on the 2007 Golden State Warriors. Credit: Nick Ut / Associated Press

This is the eighth part of a series that focuses on five things each Lakers player must do to have a successful 2011-12 season (assuming there is one, of course).

1. Successfully rehab the knee. On paper, it appears Matt Barnes' first season with the Lakers was little more than a bust. In reality, Barnes' 6.7-points-per-game average on 47% shooting pointed to his inability to fully heal and successfully play while dealing with his surgically repaired right knee. After the lateral meniscus tear in that knee against New Orleans on Jan.7, Barnes appeared more tentative than usual.

The prolonged lockout, Barnes has said, has given him time to fully heal. It's crucial that he returns to full health as that was the main variable that kept his 2010-2011 season from being successful.

2. Maintain interest in doing the little things. Last season, Barnes minimized his learning curve in understanding the triangle and fitting into a superstar-laden roster because of his willingness to do the little things. He became remarkably efficient because of his constant cutting, offensive put-backs and overall hustle for loose balls. With Coach Mike Brown's insistence on that mindset, continually playing with that attitude will immediately earn Barnes a key bench role. 

3. Bring toughness. Sometimes Barnes' chippiness can go overboard, and he'll have to channel that. But for the most part, his intensity rubs off on his teammates. The more players share Kobe Bryant's mentality the better, because there are many Lakers, mainly Pau Gasol, who don't play with enough aggression when it's necessary. 

With no NBA regular-season games in sight for at least the next month, let the barnstorming exhibition showcases continue.

For Lakers forward Matt Barnes, that will probably entail playing in a charity game featuring the current Golden State Warriors roster against players on the 2007 roster, such as himself.

"Since last nite we've got a VERY positive response about this game," Barnes wrote Wednesday morning via Twitter. "So we will make it happen. Stay tuned n 4 details! Appreciate the support."

It appears plans are already in motion. As first reported by CSNBayArea.com's Matt Steinmetz, current Warriors and the “We Believe” Warriors from 2007 talked about organizing a charity game at the San Jose Events Center possibly on Oct. 29, which could feature former Warriors players such as Baron Davis, Jason Richardson, Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington and Barnes.

It remains unclear who would sponsor the game, but Barnes indicated that at least some of the proceeds would go to "a couple cancer foundations," possibly including his own, Athletes vs. Cancer.

"I gotta question. How many of yall would like to see the 2007 Golden St Warriors take on the current Golden St Warriors???," tweeted Barnes, who indicated his surgically repaired right knee feels 90% healed. "So. @Baron_Davis @jrich23 me stack jack & Al harrington vs monte ellis steph curry david lee D wright and who ever else they got?"

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Matt Barnes playing in five-on-five scrimmages

-- Mark Medina

Email the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com