LAS VEGAS — They were side by side again, Harrison Barnes and Klay Thompson. After playing on the same team in practice at Team USA camp, Thompson intentionally walked in front of Barnes’ interview to take the seat next to the former Warrior.

“I didn’t get invited to Topgolf. He made me pay for my own dinner. Now this,” Barnes joked. “I know we’re not teammates any more, but daaaaaang.”

Barnes is smiling. He has plenty of reasons to these days: He signed a four-year, $94.4 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks, and he’s headed to the Olympics to play for his country. Life is good for Barnes.

But there is something behind that smile. Something visible in his eyes when he talked about the Warriors.

He wouldn’t confess it, but it’s obvious feelings exist behind his usually stoic demeanor.

Maybe it’s bitterness. Barnes, in a way, has been virtually erased from the Warriors. There is no shortage of people who are happy to see Barnes gone. Not just because his departure opened the door for Kevin Durant’s arrival — and the Warriors’ absolutely made the right choice — but also because Barnes’ four years with the Warriors showed flashes of greatness that were never sustained.

In this social media-induced hate-or-love culture, Barnes could be easily cast off. The context of his tenure lost. The Warriors have become such a hot item, so overwhelmed with riches, the North Carolina product is quickly forgotten about, his contributions marginalized.

It took coach Steve Kerr to go off script and interrupt the end of Durant’s introductory news conference, thanking the departed Warriors, for Barnes to be remembered.

“I guess I died,” Barnes said with a shoulder shrug, before breaking into a smile. He then explained why he was prepared for his departure.

“Dwight trade rumors. Kevin Love trade rumors. Kevin Durant … oh, that one happened. There’s been a few instances where you consider what might happen. I was just more so glad to be there as long as I was.”

Maybe that is frustration beneath the surface. Because Barnes didn’t go out with a bang. He said goodbye on a bad note, missing 27 of his last 32 shots in the NBA Finals, a healthy hand in the Warriors’ historic choke job.

He knows that is what people will remember. Not his defensive versatility that helped make the Death Lineup dominant. Nor how he improved his 3-point shooting to help spread the floor. Nor the big games where he did come through.

There are quite a few gems on his resume, earning him the nickname “Playoff Barnes.”

He had 18 points and eight rebounds in Game 4 at Cleveland as the Warriors took a 3-1 lead. He wasn’t bad in Game 5 either, knocking down 4 of his 5 3-pointers.

Remember, he took over Game 5 against Houston last year, clinching the Warriors’ first trip to the Finals since 1976 with a 13-point fourth quarter. The expectations that followed Barnes, and ultimately tainted him, was partly due to the 2012-13 playoffs when he looked like a star in the making against Denver and San Antonio.

But despite his key role in the Warriors’ championship run, fans will remember David Lee and Andrew Bogut more fondly than Barnes, though he was arguably more vital. Heck, Keith “Mister” Jennings and Jeff Grayer might have a more favorable reputation than Barnes. Something is wrong with that.

No, Barnes never met the superstar expectations when he was selected No. 7 overall in 2012. He had his weaknesses as a player, for sure.

But he was a starter on a title team. He was part of resurrecting a woe-begotten franchise. He was unselfish and good in the community.

Part of the problem: many don’t feel like he deserved more than $20 million a year. But here is the part many forget: Barnes made $12.6 million — in four years. For what he cost and what he provided, Barnes should be lauded when he returns to Oracle Arena on Tuesday for the Team USA exhibition vs. China. He certainly shouldn’t have low approval ratings.

Yes, he turned down $16 million a year in search of a maximum contract, but he never actually received max money from the Warriors. And he still hasn’t received it from Dallas yet, which is why Barnes was miffed that Thompson didn’t pick up the check.

“He could’ve at least waited until he came to Dallas,” said Barnes, who won’t get his first big check until the season starts.

Maybe that feeling Barnes has buried is anxiety. The pressure is on Barnes now. He has a lot to prove as Dallas is viewing him as its key free agent acquisition. He will no longer be a fourth or fifth option. And with the Mavericks merely a playoff hopeful, his stretches of low productivity won’t be swept under the rug.

Fortunately for Barnes, he’s got a lot of good to suppress whatever he is feeling.

“It’s been a chaotic summer,” Barnes said. “I haven’t really had time to process too much. We lost in the Finals. I’m going to Dallas. I’m here on the Olympic team. Even being here hasn’t sunk in yet. It’s been a whirlwind. I’m just trying to take it all in.”

Read Marcus Thompson II’s blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/thompson. Contact him at mthomps2@bayareanewsgroup.com. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ThompsonScribe.