Will Barton has declined his player option worth $14.7 million, becoming an unrestricted free agent this offseason. There is apparently momentum towards a new contract with the Denver Nuggets.
Denver Nuggets guard Will Barton will decline his $14.7 million player option for the 2021-22 season, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Both sides are hopeful to find a deal in free agency.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 17, 2021
This is the first domino to fall for the Denver Nuggets who will have to make a decision on the guard before moving on to other free agency decisions.
Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN reports that he’s confident the two can come to an agreement on a new deal:
"“There is a strong interest between the team and Barton to negotiate a new deal once free agency opens in August, sources said. Barton, whose seven seasons in Denver make him the longest-tenured Nugget, is a top priority for Nuggets President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly to keep long-term.”"
Barton declining his option was the most likely option after hiring new representation a month ago. The option comes at the end of a four-year, $53 million deal he signed in the 2018 offseason with a different agent.
Head coach Michael Malone, at his end of season press conference, was effusive in his praise for the 30-year-old wing who has been with the Nuggets for the coaches entire tenure:
"“I would love for Will Barton to be back. Everything he brings to the team. That’s on the court, off the court, in the locker room, from a culture standpoint. … He means a ton to me personally. He means a ton to this team and everything we’ve been able to accomplish these last six years. … Me, personally, I hope he’s back here for a long time.”"
With momentum towards extending with the Denver Nuggets, the question is no longer ‘will he pick up the option?’, it’s ‘what will the extension look like?’
After signing with Andrew Morrison, Richard Beda, and Austin Brown from CAA, NuggLove looked at some comparable contracts in the league:
"“Jordan Clarkson signed a four-year, $54 million deal last offseason with the Utah Jazz and it’s fair to say he has outperformed that deal. The 2020-21 Sixth Man of the Year just poured in over 18 points off the bench for the Western Conference’s first seed.“Clarkson is 28 this season and most of his contract is going to be played in his prime. With Barton on the wrong side of 30, can the same be said for him?”"
While Barton likely isn’t in the Sixth Man of the Year discussion next season, with Jamal Murray sidelined with his torn ACL, there will be a considerable amount of touches on the wing for Will the Thrill.
Barton could sign a long-term contract, locking up a sizeable contract before entering his mid-30s and likely making minimums. Another route he could go is the one-year paycheck, show that he still has it in a bigger role this season, and try and get a bigger deal next offseason.
In 2016, just after being traded from the Portland Trail Blazers, Barton received interest from the New Orleans Pelicans and Washington Wizards per Chris Hayes, formerly ESPN.
At 30 years of age, it’d be quite the risk to see Barton bet on himself, especially since this past season was a down year for him in terms of productivity.
All signs point towards a new deal with Denver, but what form will it take?