Will Barton Turns Down Denver Nuggets Contract Extension?
Will Barton has made a name for himself in the past few seasons as a reliable scorer and playmaker off the bench for the Denver Nuggets.
The team wants to extend his contact to lock him up long term. However, ESPN's Chris Haynes has reported that Barton has decided not to sign an extension because he wants to become a free agent in the 2018 offseason.
"Sources say the Nuggets anticipated Barton's decision, made in an attempt to maximize his earning potential during the prime of his career," Haynes said in his report.
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"If Barton chose to go the extension route, his salary would be the greater of 120 percent of his 2017–18 salary or the average salary of next season, which is expected to be approximately $9 million. With eight percent increases, Barton was looking at roughly a four-year, $39 million extension," he continued.
Turning down the extension is the right thing to do for Barton. He can only get a four-year extension worth about $39 million with the Nuggets. However, he will probably get close to twice that amount as a free agent next summer.
Don't forget, the Portland Trail Blazers actually matched a four-year, $75 million offer sheet to keep Allen Crabbe last summer and he's nowhere as good as Barton. The Blazers also signed Evan Turner to a four-year, $70 million deal and he's still trying to prove that he's worth his contract. At least Kent Bazemore is starting games for the Atlanta Hawks. However, Barton is probably still the better player, especially at the offensive end.
Barton is only 26 and he's going to have a lot of suitors in the open market once his current deal expires. But he isn't a finished product yet and he still has to work on his game especially on defense.
Of course, Barton may end up re-signing with the Nuggets next summer, but he will probably want to start.
