NBA Free Agency 2018: 5 offseason targets for the Miami Heat
3. Will Barton
Barton is another bench cog that has played a surprisingly important role for his team over the past three seasons. When the Blazers traded him for Arron Afflalo during the wild 2015 trade deadline, he was viewed as little more than salary fodder. But Barton has become a vital part of Denver’s bench since then, taking significant steps forward as a player. When Barton comes into the game, you can expect some chaos. He’s frenetic spark plug that plays with one objective: energizing the Denver offense. Though Barton’s style often comes across as reckless, he’s skilled and has some nuance to his game.
The Nuggets had serious issues at backup point guard for much of the season as Emmanuel Mudiay continued to disappoint before he was ultimately traded. Barton often took on the role of secondary point guard for Denver. The Nuggets didn’t run a ton of pick and roll last year, but Jamal Murray and Will Barton were the team’s main initiators in such plays. Barton is a decent passer, but he generally used pick and roll possessions to look for his own offense. That was important for Denver given the fact that Barton was probably their best driver last year. He finished 66% of his shots at the rim in 2018, a great mark for a player of his size and build (he’s listed at 175 pounds).
Will Barton would fit well on with this Heat roster. The team is dying for more ball handling and creation on its bench units. While Heat legend D. Wade took on those duties for much of last season, Barton brings an entirely different element to the table. Miami has generally played at a snail’s pace on offense for a few years now. Barton loves to push the ball and get out in transition. He can up the tempo for portions of the game and get the Heat running more often; Miami was in the bottom five of the league in transition scoring in 2018. Moreover, teams have to respect Barton’s jumper and actually guard him when he gives up the ball.
At the other end of the floor Barton has an aptitude for poking away the ball and getting some steals, but he’s generally a negative presence on that end of the floor. He has the length and athleticism to bother ones and twos, but he’s too inattentive. Barton is prone to losing guys off the ball. Moreover his thin body makes him an easy target for opposing threes to attack. Those limitations would be palatable for Miami though. They have more than enough defensive talent on this team.
In terms of pricing, acquiring Barton could get a bit tricky for the Heat. They probably won’t be able to offer more than the taxpayer MLE, which is well below what Barton will be looking for. A sign and trade is the best option for Heat if they can persuade Barton to join the team. Denver’s crappy cap situation would complicate a potential trade though. The Nuggets won’t want to take on long-term salaries with major tax concerns and a new deal for Nikola Jokic on the horizon. If Barton takes a deal starting around the full MLE figure, perhaps the two franchises could hammer out a deal.