Woj: Will Barton, Wizards Working on Contract Buyout After NBA Trade Deadline

The Washington Wizards are working with guard/forward Will Barton on a contract buyout, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski:

Barton has averaged 7.7 points on 38.7 percent shooting (38.0 percent from three-point range), 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists. The 11-year NBA veteran has played 40 games off the bench and averaged 19.6 minutes per contest.

Barton spent the majority of the first 10 years of his career with the Denver Nuggets after starting out with two-plus seasons suiting up for the Portland Trail Blazers. He was a fixture of the rotation from 2015 to '22, averaging 14.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in 30.4 minutes per game.

Last July, Barton was traded to the Wizards alongside Monte Morris for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith. Playing time has been much harder to come by in Washington, where he's fallen out of the rotation after a rough shooting start to the season. He hasn't seen consistent playing time since December.

Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report wrote on Jan. 13 that teams were calling Washington about Barton's availability, but the trade deadline came and went without him being moved.

Barton is in the final season of a two-year, $30 million contract and set to become a free agent. If the Wizards don't plan on using him in the rotation amid their playoff push, then a buyout is likely the best option for both sides so Barton can find a better fit elsewhere.