Denver Nuggets: 5 teams that could make a play for Will Barton
By Alex Murray
Will Barton destinations: 2. Los Angeles Lakers – Rendez-vous with The King
Apart from being valued the way he expects to be valued, there’s only one other thing on Barton’s list of free agent demands: a winning situation.
The Los Angeles Lakers just won a title in 2020, and with LeBron James and Anthony Davis poised to return healthier and stronger than last season, the Lakers will once again be title contenders.
Like the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers don’t have a ton of wiggle room under the cap. Unlike the Nuggets, they are expected to make a decent amount of moves as they reshape the team following a disappointing and injury-riddled season that showed just how big of a depth problem they had. That means they could theoretically make the necessary space to bring in the Thrill next to the King and the Brow.
While LeBron and AD can both knock down triples when they need to, neither is considered a 3-point marksman, and both are more comfortable getting their offense closer to the rim. Spacing the floor was L.A.’s Achilles heel during the 2021 season, and Will the Thrill would step in perfectly to help them fix that issue.
As his nickname suggests, Barton is a very exciting watch on the offensive end when he’s on a roll, and that’s the kind of supplementary scoring the Lakers will need when their big dogs are hurt, having an off night, or simply too tired to carry the team. LeBron is getting up there in age, so he’s going to need more help than usual down the stretch.
Barton can shoot the ball well (38 percent 3-point shooter), improving his long-range shot in each of the past three campaigns, but he’s also a very capable playmaker and pick-and-roll initiator with the ball in his hands. He’s not a lockdown defender on the perimeter, but he’s no pushover either standing at 6-foot-6 and boasting a wingspan of about 6-foot-10.
Not to mention that playing with an all-time great like LeBron in a city like Los Angeles is a pretty good selling point as well. He would likely have to take less money than he wants, but Barton would certainly be a welcome addition to the Lakeshow.