The Denver Nuggets have been the focus of a lot of speculation involving trade talks, mostly about Ty Lawson. Many people still think he might get traded, but as of right now, he is still a Nugget, as is Kenneth Faried. Someone else that will reportedly be back is Will Barton, as it is being reported that the Nuggets and Barton are finalizing a three-year deal, according to Cleveland.com.
Barton is a restricted free agent, so the likelihood was always that he would stay with the Nuggets. However, the reports claim that he will sign a deal in the $11 million range over the three years.
The Nuggets are in a rebuilding phase after missing the playoffs the past two seasons, and they obviously see potential in the 24-year-old Barton. He is a very athletic young kid that can be viewed as a prospect, but he really showed signs of being a good NBA player after being traded to the Nuggets in the middle of last season.
Barton was a second round draft pick in 2012 for the Portland Trail Blazers but never really got a great chance to play much there, with the team having some very good, established wings. In his two-and-a-half seasons in Portland, Barton only averaged 11 minutes and less than four points per game on 39 percent shooting.
After being traded to Denver, Barton's minutes went up, and his production followed suit. In 28 games with the Nuggets last season, Barton averaged over 24 minutes per game and saw his other numbers rise as well, averaging 11 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while his shooting percentage shot up to 44 percent.
However, Barton still has work to do to become an all around NBA player, as his three point shooting hasn't been good (career 23 percent) and his defense has been just average. But with his athleticism, he can become a very good defender.
The Nuggets clearly saw something they liked in Barton in his short stint with them last season, and it is hard to blame them. He put up some nice numbers off the bench for them, and while he has his flaws, he has the potential to be a key contributor in the near future, making this a risk well worth taking.
