Wizards pursuing contract buyout for 11-year veteran Will Barton

The Washington Wizards are working on a contract buyout for guard/forward Will Barton, allowing him to become a free agent. Barton, 32, has made 40 appearances off the bench this season.

Of course, the 11-year veteran is averaging 7.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. Plus, he’s shooting 38.7% from the field and 38% beyond the arc.

Based on a couple of NBA betting sites, the Wizards have 22nd-ranked odds to win the championship. Sportsbooks are giving the New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, and Miami Heat better playoff odds.

ESPN Sources: The Wizards are working on a contract buyout for veteran G/F Will Barton, allowing him to become a free agent. Barton, 32, has had a limited role with Washington this season, but started 71 games and averaged 14.7 points for the Nuggets a season ago.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 9, 2023

“It hasn’t worked out and going back to his hometown of DC for some reason he just hasn’t been able to stick in the rotation,” said Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report on his “This League Uncut” podcast with Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

“He feels like he’s still the player he was, he still thinks he could still be a prominent player in a reserve role. And I was told he would like to play on a contending team. So, you got to look for teams like Milwaukee or Brooklyn for that matter.”

Washington Wizards expected to reach contract buyout agreement with Will Barton, per multiple sources

In August 2021, Barton signed a two-year, $30 million contract with the Denver Nuggets. However, he and Monte Morris were traded to the Wizards in the 2022 offseason for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith.

Barton is currently in the final year of his contract. The Memphis product is earning $14.325 million this season with the Wizards. Moreover, Barton logged a season-high 22 points in back-to-back losses against the Brooklyn Nets (Dec. 12) and Nuggets (Dec. 14).

Key names to watch in buyout market:

Russell Westbrook (LAL –> UTA)
Patrick Beverley (LAL –> ORL)
Danny Green (MEM –> HOU)
John Wall (LAC –> HOU)
Khem Birch (TOR –> SAS)
Serge Ibaka (MIL –> IND)
Will Barton (WAS)
Richaun Holmes (SAC)
Kevin Love (CLE)

— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) February 9, 2023

After trading away Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, it’s difficult to picture the Nets contending for the championship this season. Brooklyn is 32-22 and ranks fifth in the Eastern Conference standings, but the team’s winning percentage is expected to drop in the second half of the season.

Milwaukee is a more ideal landing spot for Barton. The Wizards guard/wing is still a decent outside threat. More importantly, the Bucks are on an eight-game win streak. They’re 37-17 and rank second overall in the East. Milwaukee is only 1.5 games back behind the Boston Celtics.