Will Barton reveals reaction after trade to Wizards

Mar 28, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Will Barton (5) during the first quarter between the Charlotte Hornets and the Denver Nuggets at Spectrum Center. Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Will Barton on trade to Wizards: 'I'm welcoming a new chapter'

By Eduardo Solano | Last updated 8/12/22

Will Barton was a key player for the Nuggets for eight years, averaging 14 points, five rebounds and 3.3 assists in 30.4 minutes over 479 games. Barton’s time in Denver ended on July 6 when the Nuggets sent him and Monte Morris to the Wizards for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith.

The deal took Barton by surprise and he recently talked to Mike Singer of the Denver Post about what he felt when he found out.

“It was just like a shock, but not too much of a shock,” Barton said when asked his reaction to the trade. “It was a shock in that, obviously, I had been there eight years, did so much there together, so it’s always shocking when you’ve been somewhere for so long and you’re moving on. But, at the same time, I embraced it, I’m welcoming a new chapter.”

How Barton can help the Wizards

Barton carved out a role as an integral part of a Nuggets team with NBA championship aspirations. After establishing himself as a starter in Denver for the last four years, Barton is ready to take on a new challenge with the Wizards.

Barton averages 11.6 points 4.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 25.9 minutes over 623 career games (284 starts) with the Trail Blazers and Nuggets. The 31-year-old guard has shot at least 37.0 percent from three-point range in each of the last three seasons.

WILL BARTON WITH THE DAGGER TO KEEP THE NUGGETS IN THE SERIES pic.twitter.com/V2tQjw12kv
— ESPN (@espn) April 24, 2022

Last season, he started 71 games and averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 32.1 minutes. Barton shot 43.8 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from beyond the arc while attempting a career-high 6.6 three-pointers per game. He scored in double-figures in 57 games and he put up 20 or more points in 17 contests.

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