Report: Will Barton hasn’t ruled out return vs. Clippers

The Denver Nuggets may get a boost to their rotation in the form of swingman Will Barton.

According to Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes, Denver Nuggets swingman Will Barton may return to the NBA bubble during Denver’s series against the Los Angeles Clippers after leaving nearly a month ago to deal with lingering knee soreness. Barton, who averaged 15.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game this season, would be a welcome sight for the Nuggets, who have yet to have been fully healthy since the league resumed play in August.

Haynes reports that Barton has been rehabbing his injury and undergoing daily testing for the Coronavirus to minimize his quarantine period.

Michael Porter Jr. has been the primary benefactor of Barton’s absence. However, while Porter comes off the bench, Barton may join the rookie forward in the second unit as he’s played sparingly since March.

If a change in the starting lineup eventually occurs, I would expect Barton to supplant Paul Millsap, as Jerami Grant becomes the starting power forward.

Barton’s playmaking ability, notably his ability to create shots for himself and get to the rim, would be useful for the Nuggets. Offensively, Grant and Millsap have been inconsistent, and Barton is a better scorer than either of them. Defensively, Barton is a solid presence on the wing and having him back would minimize the minutes that they expose a player like Torrey Craig — who was once deemed as Denver’s defensive specialist — to opposing teams’ offenses.

Because Barton (nor the Nuggets, for that matter) had said that their veteran wing was out for the remainder of the season, it was always worth wondering whether he would return if Denver managed to have a long enough playoff run.

Now, with Haynes’ report, that question appears to be answered. Much to the Nuggets’ pleasure.