Report: Nuggets, Will Barton discussing contract extension

The Nuggets and Will Barton are discussing a potential contract extension, according to ESPN’s Chris Haynes.

Barton, 26, is entering the final season of a three-year $10.6 million contract that he signed in 2015. The 6-foot-6 wing is set to make $3.5 million this season and figures to be a fixture in the Nuggets’ guard rotation.

In 60 games last year (19 starts), Barton averaged 13.7 points on 44.3 percent shooting from the field and 37.0 percent from three. Barton played a variety of roles for the Nuggets last season from sixth-man to starter and played every backcourt position for Denver when injuries ravaged coach Michael Malone’s rotation.

The Nuggets and Barton taking steps to agree to an extension would contradict an ESPN report from earlier this offseason that said Barton planned to test unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2018 and would not work towards an extension with Denver.

In 2015, then-general manager and now president of basketball operations Tim Connelly signed both Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler to multi-year contract extensions. Barton’s extension would be done with a similar line of thinking.

Earlier Monday afternoon, the Phoenix Suns and swingman T.J. Warren reportedly agreed to a four-year $50 million contract.

June 30, 2018 is the deadline for Barton and the Nuggets to agree to an extension. Denver is also working towards a rookie extension with Gary Harris. The two sides have until Oct. 16 — the day before the start of the regular season — to agree to terms or else Harris will enter restricted free agency next summer.

At media day prior to last season, Barton expressed a desire to eventually join the starting lineup, but Denver’s starting shooting guard and small forward spots belong to Harris and Chandler respectively. Jameer Nelson, Jamal Murray, and Emmanuel Mudiay will compete for the Nuggets’ starting point guard spot.

“One of my goals is to be a starter,” Barton said. “I don’t want to be put in a box yet. I feel like I’m still young in my career, still young in age, so I feel like I can still become a starter and be a good starter. So I’m definitely striving for that in my career, but as of right now I’m going to do whatever coach needs me to do. Wherever he puts me at I’m just going to do what I got to do, but I definitely want to be a starter. I feel like I can take that next leap.”