Free agent guard Will Barton can help a contending team. Here are three ideal landing spots.
Following his buyout with the Washington Wizards, guard Will Barton is one of the most valuable free agents on the market.
Barton is an ideal pickup for any contending team. He is a reliable shooter with playoff experience. Over his last four seasons, Barton is shooting 37.3 percent from 3-point range. In addition, he drained 44.0 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes during last year’s postseason.
In his 40 games with the Wizards, Barton failed to live up to expectations. He shot a career-low 39.5 percent on 2-pointers and was disappointing defensively. Still, there has been too much attention on Barton’s limitations.
In Washington, his strengths were still evident. With the Wizards, he made 45.5 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes. In December, he flashed his scoring potential with back-to-back 22-point games off the bench.
In the right role, he can bring value to a franchise. Let’s break down three NBA playoff teams who need to sign him.
Playoff teams that need to sign Will Barton: 3. Minnesota Timberwolves
Losing Malik Beasley proved to be consequential for the Minnesota Timberwolves. This season, Minnesota’s bench has a total plus/minus of -186. That is a huge difference from last season when their bench posted a total plus/minus of +117.
Spacing, in particular, has been a problem. The Timberwolves’ bench is shooting 31.9 percent from three, which is tied for the fourth-worst mark in the league.
Last season, Beasley led the second unit in points. For the season, he knocked down 3.0 threes per game at a 37.7 percent clip. Finding another perimeter scorer would be ideal. Barton would be a perfect fit.