4. Will Barton (Denver Nuggets)
Originally selected by the Trail Blazers in the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft, Barton found it hard to get playing time in the Pacific Northwest behind teammates Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum. He made his rounds through the D-League early in his career before being recalled and ultimately being traded to the Denver Nuggets in February.
Barton has shown an ability to score and defend at his position well when given the minutes. Over the last 28 games of the season with the Nuggets, the 6’6,” 175-pound shooting guard put up 11 points and grabbed more than four rebounds in about 24 minutes per game.
The sample size is small, but Barton has at least shown signs of becoming a strong contributor off the bench. His three-point shooting has to be addressed (he is a career .230 percent from beyond the arc), but Barton has demonstrated a willingness to be coached everywhere he’s been in the league.
But there are a couple of potential snags for the Heat if they wish to pursue him.
First, Barton is a restricted free agent, meaning the Nuggets (after making a qualifying offer) can match any bid from the Heat or any other team when the signing period opens up.
Second, Barton is happy in the Mile High City. The Nuggets gave him a chance to get a foothold in the league, and he may be inclined to continue his development in Denver.
Neverthless, Miami may attempt to pry Barton away from Denver, because in terms of talent, age and career trajectory, he fits very well in to Miami’s overall vision both in the near term and down the road.
Other Possibilities:
Corey Brewer (Houston Rockets) – Brewer is what Barton could be in 2-3 years.
Jason Terry (Houston Rockets) – “The Jet” could fill the role Ray Allen played in the “Big Three” era.
Nick Calathes (Memphis Grizzlies) – Though he was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2009, most of his professional experience has been in overseas leagues (Greece and Russia);
Arron Afflalo (Portland Trail Blazers) – the versatile Afflalo would be a good fit at several positions for the Heat.
Next: Mike Dunleavy (Chicago Bulls)
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