Denver Nuggets: Complete 2018 offseason grades
By Max Carlin
Bringing back Will Barton
Denver wasted no time securing Barton, reports of his new contract hitting Twitter long before free agency even began.
Initial murkiness over numbers gave way to eye-popping terms: $53 million over four years with a player option on the final season.
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In Barton, Denver undeniably retained an important piece. The negative consequences of the deal, however, seemed considerable at the time. Now, they seem drastic.
Barton’s outsized deal pushed Denver massively over the luxury tax threshold, which motivated later cost-saving moves at the expense of the on-court product.
With Wilson Chandler, a casualty of one of those moves, gone, Denver’s set to start Barton at the 3. Barton’s questionable fit defending on the wing (if that’s where he actually sees most of his minutes) makes this even more of a square peg in a round hole.
Barton’s contract was a massive overpay, an indication that Denver’s learned nothing from past mistakes, and something that already has and will continue to harm Denver’s long-term outlook.
It’s obvious why Denver wanted to retain Barton — he is good and important — but Denver went about doing so hilariously poorly.
Grade: D