Three players the Nuggets could consider trading
By Blake Holmes
Starting off the list is the shooting guard, Will Barton.
Will Barton has been a great player for the Nuggets ever since they acquired him in a trade with Portland. He, along with a few others that were waived, was dealt for Arron Afflalo with the Trail-Blazers three seasons ago. Barton wasn’t a well-known player in Portland, but he jumped out and played very well for the Nuggets. In fact, Barton was in consideration for Sixth Man of the Year in 2015.
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Barton has a play-style that may not fit the Nuggets at this point of time. He tries to be a hero too much, taking too many bad shots in his play. This was actually the complaint that many Nuggets fans had about Jameer Nelson last year as well. Barton is just an athletic freak with a bit of a three-point jumper.
I will say that he is a passionate player who does bring a different skill-set to the table for Denver. That being said, his contract runs up next season, and he has already said that he will decline the Nuggets’ contract extension. Why not throw him on the trading block and see what they could get for him, instead of possibly losing him next year? His unique skill-set could help bring in some talent that the Nuggets could utilize well.
Now Barton alone wouldn’t land a star by any means, but packaging him with someone else could. The Nuggets are in a strange place where they have to decide if they want to win now, or keep rebuilding. After barely missing the playoffs last year, do they become impatient or keep trusting the process?
He’s a pretty efficient shooter, shooting almost 50 percent from the field last season. While he shoots that well, he does make some bad decisions, and even a few game-changing decisions. He could be attractive for a team who needs a good sixth man or even starting shooting guard.