Top Landing Spots For Will Barton Following Buyout From Wizards
There have been quite a few big names to hit the buyout market this season. Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Reggie Jackson and Patrick Beverley are a few impactful players that have already signed with a new team, but after officially being bought out of his contract by the Washington Wizards on Tuesday, Will Barton is now set to be an unrestricted free agent once he clears waivers.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Barton has completed his buyout with the Wizards ahead of the March 1 deadline to become eligible to join a playoff roster on a new team.
Barton, 32, was traded from the Denver Nuggets to the Washington Wizards this past offseason along with guard Monte Morris in a deal that sent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith to Denver.
Initially thought to serve a key role on the wing in Washington, things just did not work out with Barton and the Wizards and after the team was unable to move him at the trade deadline, agreeing to a buyout was something many around the league anticipated happening.
Through the years in Denver, Will Barton was always known to be a key secondary scoring option on the wing and he has always been an above-average defender as well.
Being an experienced player that has been to the postseason multiple times in his career, Barton is easily one of the better players available in the buyout market now and could make a huge difference in a contending team’s postseason chances.
With several teams having an open roster spot trending towards the start of March and the final stretch of the 2022-23 season, here is where Will Barton could ultimately end up.
Boston Celtics
Adding another scoring option out on the wing is definitely something the Boston Celtics could explore doing, especially since Danilo Gallinari likely won’t return from his ACL injury. Not to mention, one small weakness the Celtics have right now is out on the wing.
Jayson Tatum has played a lot of minutes this season and with Jaylen Brown dealing with a facial fracture, it would not hurt to have a solid, proven veteran player who can allow Tatum and Brown to rest up for the playoffs over the final month or so of the regular season.
Sam Hauser has stepped up as a shooting option for the Celtics as of late, but his production likely won’t be sustainable long-term and Barton is a player who can be utilized anywhere from 10-20 minutes a game in certain roles.
His ability to guard multiple positions and disrupt passing lanes due to his length is something that would be beneficial to the Celtics, giving them even more depth to try and make another run at winning a championship.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Tim Connelly is the President of Basketball Operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves and when he was running the Denver Nuggets front-office, he was very fond of Will Barton. In fact, Connelly was one of the reasons why Barton got his two-year, $30 million deal a couple of years ago.
Barton is definitely capable of filling a sixth-man-like role off-the-bench and being a capable three-point shooter, he is definitely what the Timberwolves are lacking right now.
Assuming Karl-Anthony Towns returns from his calf injury relatively soon, the Timberwolves will see their offensive production increase, but they still lack capable talents on their bench to be a real playoff threat.
Jaylen Nowell produces off-the-bench in the backcourt and both Naz Reid and Kyle Anderson have done well in the frontcourt, yet Minnesota still has a glaring weakness behind Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels on the wing.
Given his experience and ability to fit in on one of the better defensive teams in the Western Conference, Will Barton would certainly be a good pickup for the Timberwolves.
The only problem though is that Minnesota currently has 15 players on their roster, which means they would need to waive someone like Nathan Knight or Austin Rivers to sign Barton.
New York Knicks
At the All-Star break, the New York Knicks are 33-27 and they are currently the 6-seed in the Eastern Conference. Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett have formed a strong scoring trio for New York, yet this team’s bench is still a mess.
The Knicks rank 25th in the league in bench scoring this season and outside of Immanuel Quickley, they really do not have any source of instant offense in their secondary unit.
The most interesting thing about the Knicks right now though is the fact that they have 13 players on their active roster. DaQuan Jeffries could have his two-way contract converted to give the Knicks 14 active contracts, but it makes more sense for them to try and find a viable talent like Will Barton in the buyout market.
He is a solid catch-and-shoot three-point threat out on the wing and perhaps the most important factor is that Barton is a solid defender, something that would sit well with head coach Tom Thibodeau.
Barton’s style of play and ability to play off of both Brunson and Randle would be beneficial to the Knicks, which is why he is worth consideration for a roster spot.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are sitting right next to the Boston Celtics in the East as the team to beat. It seems destined that the Bucks and Celtics will meet in the Eastern Conference Finals this season, which is why each team is going to try and do what they can to get a leg up on one another.
The addition of Jae Crowder will be huge for the Bucks once they get him integrated and with Bobby Portis expected to return from injury soon, Milwaukee will be at 100 percent.
Like the Knicks though, they only have 13 players on their active roster and while they could convert Sandro Mamukelashvili’s two-way contract, the Bucks have always liked to find veterans who can come in and contribute.
Milwaukee will likely make a move in the buyout market in the coming days and after passing up on key names already, Will Barton could be the one player they have circled in their front-office.
The Bucks really do not have an actual small forward type of player on their roster outside of Khris Middleton and while he is listed as a shooting guard, Will Barton has played a lot of small forward through the years in Denver.
Having him come off-the-bench gives the Bucks another starting-caliber player in their second unit, increasing their chances of winning a second championship in the last three seasons.
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors have kept a roster spot open all season long and while they have lacked size in their frontcourt, Gary Payton II’s injury leaves them thin in terms of defensive options on the wing.
Patrick Beverley was rumored to be a defensive target for the Warriors and with him now signing with the Chicago Bulls, Will Barton is an interesting name for Golden State to consider.
He played with the Nuggets for numerous seasons, which could give the Warriors a small advantage in terms of their gameplan should they run into Denver in the postseason, he is a capable three-point shooter and the Warriors are lacking depth behind Andrew Wiggins in their depth chart.
Adding size and players who can help them improve defensively would go a long way in the Warriors chances of repeating as champions, which is why considering Will Barton is an option for Golden State.
Assuming they do not have their eyes on another player in the buyout market, the Warriors really would not have anything to lose by pursuing Barton.
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