Report: Multiple teams called Nuggets about Will Barton

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Will Barton‘s breakout 2015-16 season where he averaged 14.4 points, shot 34.5 percent from 3-points range and placed fifth in Sixth Man of the Year voting, cemented the 25-year-old as one of the league’s premier scoring options off the bench.

In December, when the Nuggets were ravaged with injuries, Barton averaged 32.9 minutes, 20.8 points, shot 39.3 percent from three and attempted 16.5 shots per game, 4.5 more than he averaged throughout last season. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say Barton was single-handedly responsible for five Nuggets victories that month.

Apparently, teams around the league took notice.

In Christopher Dempsey’s latest piece on how the Nuggets are banking on their youth for wins this season, he mentions how teams have called Denver about Barton and offered a first-round pick for his services.

“Barton, meanwhile, is in constant search of a chip on his shoulder to lean on. Years past it has been easier to find. Now he’s being praised after a breakout season that landed him in the thick of the conversation for postseason awards, that had other teams offering first-round picks to nab him, and that had opponents highlighting him on scouting reports as a player to stop.”

First off, we don’t know when those calls were placed to the Nuggets. They could have come earlier this summer around the draft, or more recently. Secondly, it’s clear why general managers around the league are targeting Barton if they’re looking for help on the wing. He’s likely to see a reduced role this season with Wilson Chandler back from injury and No. 7 overall pick Jamal Murray is sure to eat into some of Barton’s minutes at shooting guard. It’s hard to envision Barton approaching the 28.7 minutes he averaged last season.

Barton is also on a team-friendly contract that will pay him roughly $7 million over the next two years – an incredibly low salary compared to some the contracts handed out this summer. It’s fun (probably not for Barton) to imagine what the energizer bunny would have gotten on the open market this offseason. Allen Crabbe re-signed with Portland for four years and $75 million and is just a year younger than Barton.

Teams might look at Denver’s roster and think Barton is expendable, but he’s needed off the Nuggets bench especially since it’s impossible to know exactly what you’re getting from Murray in his rookie season. However, it’s hard envisioning Barton putting up a stronger season going forward than he did last year and his value will likely never be higher. Barton’s salary also makes him a nice throw in if Denver decides to make a more substantial trade this season.

A first-round pick, depending on the team of course, seems like a good starting place if the Nuggets look to part ways with Barton, but as we’ve seen from previous trades under Tim Connelly, the Nuggets value continuity and won’t part with a rotation piece unless they feel they have a deal on the table that they simply can’t pass up.

We’ll keep tabs on this story and others as media day gets underway Monday and training camp tips off Tuesday.