Will Barton: 4 years, $53 million (Denver Nuggets)
Will Barton, Denver will come to terms on a four-year deal just north of $50 million when free agency opens, sources tell @YahooSportsNBA.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) July 1, 2018
Free agent guard Will Barton and Denver intends to ink a four-year, $54 million deal, league sources ESPN. He will have a player option on fourth year.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 1, 2018
There’s been some discrepancy over the final dollar figure, but several reports have confirmed it’ll be a four-year, $53 million deal for Will Barton ($13.25 million a year). That’s quite a lot for the Denver Nuggets to commit given their increasingly hairy cap situation, but no one can say Barton didn’t earn his payday as the team’s new starting small forward.
Last season, Barton posted a career-high 15.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, starting in 40 of his 81 appearances, shooting 37 percent from 3-point range on 5.2 attempts per game, and ultimately finishing fourth in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
The New York Times‘ Marc Stein previously reported Wilson Chandler, Darrell Arthur, Kenneth Faried and possibly Mason Plumlee would be available via trade, which makes sense. The Nuggets’ current spending spree includes $54 million over four years for Barton, nearly $150 million over five years for Nikola Jokic, and $84 million over four years for Gary Harris.
Without the cap room to improve externally, Denver had no choice here, but this is quite a commitment in a tight market. Shedding salary is a now must for a team so deep in the luxury tax that just missed the playoffs last season.
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