Report: Will Barton, Nuggets to Agree to 4-Year, $54M Contract

Swingman Will Barton will reportedly remain with the Denver Nuggets for the foreseeable future.

According to ESPN.com's Chris Haynes, Barton and the Nuggets agreed to terms on a four-year, $54 million deal that includes a player option in Year 4. 

Yahoo Sports' Chris Mannix first reported the two sides had agreed to a deal. 

The Nuggets acquired Barton via trade from the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2014-15 season, and he has developed into an important part of their rotation on the wing. He is dangerous slashing to the hoop with his quickness and tall enough at 6'6" to shoot over smaller defenders.

The athleticism and length serve him well as a scorer, as he tallied a career-high 15.7 points per game in 2017-18 while dishing out 4.1 assists a night.

He also tied a career-best 37 percent shooting clip from behind the three-point line the past season, adding another dimension to his game and making him more valuable as he hits his prime at age 27.

Barton's shooting as another piece of his offensive arsenal is important moving forward after this contract because opponents cannot afford to lock in on him when playing Denver. Nikola Jokic, Gary Harris and Jamal Murray figure to be building blocks and command attention, and other formidable pieces, such as Paul Millsap, provide depth.

Denver last made the playoffs in the 2012-13 season, but it was 40-42 in 2016-17 and 46-36 in 2017-18 and challenged for a postseason spot throughout much of the two campaigns.

The new deal for Barton suggests the Nuggets are looking to move forward with this core in an effort to challenge some of the best teams in the Western Conference.