As the Brooklyn Nets load up ahead of the postseason, the first-place Sixers are happy to be first in the East, but the front office knows it can't coast.
President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey has reportedly been eyeing a number of trade deadline targets, from P.J. Tucker to Larry Nance Jr., and now we can add an extremely enticing option to the list.
Enter Denver Nuggets wing Will Barton, a fascinating bucket getter who might be the perfect trade deadline fit for this Sixers team.
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According to Bleacher Report's Jason Dumas, the Sixers have 'inquired' about Barton's availability in talks with the Nuggets:
"Based on conversations with sources close to the team, they are not content with their current roster. A source tells B/R the team has inquired about the availability of Will Barton, P.J. Tucker, Delon Wright and George Hill."
Sign me up for Barton yesterday.
The 30-year-old vet is having his best season shooting from distance (38.8% on four attempts per game), is solid at creating his own offense off the dribble (he averages 6.5 field goal attempts per game after at least three dribbles), and is the kind of high-energy bench option you love to have in the postseason.
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Barton has two years left on a four-year deal, and is owed $13.7 million this year and $14.6 million next year, making the Sixers' Danny Green a perfect salary match in a trade. If the Nuggets, currently the six seed in the West, don't like where their team is at right now and want to offload Barton's cap hit next year for an expiring contract like Green's, this would be a great fit for both sides. Green still brings that shooting upside in case Denver goes on a run, but they free up future cap space if things go south.
The only concerns about Barton, for me, are a sharp increase in his turnover rate (13.4%) this year relative to a career-low usage rate (18.3%) - not exactly the direction you want to be trending - and his just-okay defense. Not crippling, but not inspiring.
But the Sixers need to keep pace with Brooklyn's scoring in the playofs, and this is absolutely one way to do that.