Report: Will Barton Will Decline Sizeable Player Option

Shams Charania has reported that Nuggets G/F Will Barton will decline his $14.7m dollar player option this summer. Barton has been with the Nuggets for more than 6 seasons after being dealt from the Trail Blazers in the Jusuf Nurkic trade.

Barton has been a started for the Nuggets since 2016, but he hasn't played more than 60 games in each of the seasons since earning his starting spot. This makes his decision to decline a sizeable player option intriguing, as he doesn't seem primed to receive a better deal in free agency. Shams notes that there is interest on both sides to negotiate a new contract.

It's possible that Barton is willing to forgo a higher salary in favor of a longer-term contract in this scenario. Barton, now 30 years old, is likely going to see his last chance at a long-term contract this offseason, and it seems that the Nuggets have shown a willingness to throw one his way. It's common knowledge around the league that the Nuggets will only be able to maintain their current roster for one more season before salary cap issues force players to move on. While their core duo of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic are locked down for the foreseeable future, younger players like Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon will need a scenery change in order to fulfill their contract potentials. The Nuggets appear to have recognized this and are (potentially) signing Barton to a longer contract in order to secure quality role players past the 2021-2022 season.