 Barea started in three of 21 playoff games that he played for the Mavericks, while averaging 8.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 18.6 minutes per game.After failed negotiations to re-sign with the Mavericks, Barea began looking elsewhere, but, because of the NBA lockout, he was unable to sign with another franchise.On December 14, 2011, following the conclusion of the lockout, Barea signed a four-year, $19 million contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves.