The Denver Nuggets have to make a decision on what to do with Will Barton this summer.
The Denver Nuggets have a difficult summer ahead. Not only do they have to figure out a way to secure Nikola Jokic for the future, they also have to decide whether or not to continue on with Will “The Thrill,” Barton.
As reports have indicated, Barton denied a contract extension offered to him by the Denver front office before the year began. This shows a few things.
First of all, this shows that Barton feels as if he is worth a max contract. He believes he could get a better deal elsewhere. It also goes to show that the Nuggets want to keep him long term, but not for the same value as he believes he is actually worth.
So, how does Denver deal with this issue? Do they really want a streaky sixth man off the bench on their roster eating up valuable cap space which they could use to pursue other quality free agents.
They could try to convince him to accept a reasonable offer they show the Sixth Man of the Year candidate, but they already tried and failed. As electric as he was at times this season, it may be time to move on from Will Barton.
Fans need to also realize he was a nuisance at times this season and the argument could be made he even cost them a couple of games. His shot selection is questionable and most likely won’t improve at this point of his career.
Denver could easily replace Barton’s presence off the bench. They could do this by adding a key piece in free agency. Denver could even turn toward the draft to assist their depth.
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Will Barton played well in the final weeks of the season. However, it may be time for the Will Barton era to come to an end.