The Washington Wizards executed an offseason trade that did not catch the attention of many eyeballs as it did not involve any of the big names. The Wizards received both Will Barton and Monte Morris from the Nuggets, but both of them have been performing at a less-than-desirable level so far.
Washington is currently the loser of the trade because Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has been flourishing with the Denver Nuggets, who was the main piece of the trade that the Wizards sent back.
Morris' numbers have plummeted as a starter, but it is Barton who has been worse because there have been some matchups wherein coach Wes Unseld Jr. decides to leave him on the bench for the whole game. With Barton as an expiring contract, it could be plausible to move him to three of these organizations before the February 9th trade deadline.
One franchise that is in dire need of any sort of change in its roster is the Atlanta Hawks. The Dejounte Murray trade in the offseason was supposed to propel them to a top-four or five seed in the East, but they have been worse with all the issues revolving around their franchise. One major issue is their offensive numbers have dipped a ton with this roster and adding Will Barton could be the answer for them.
It was questionable for them to move Kevin Huerter in the offseason, and now they need a player with a similar approach to him. Barton can fill in that slot with the Hawks moving the expiring contract of Derrick Favors and a salary filler to make the trade work. Favors is not being utilized by Atlanta anyways, so this is a low-risk high-reward swap.
A team that has been on the upswing in the last month is the Dallas Mavericks. Their team has been excellent because of the spectacular play of Slovenian Luka Doncic, but their current style and roster might not be enough to compete with the Golden State Warriors or Denver Nuggets in the playoffs. The Mavericks still need a couple of players to give them a legitimate chance, especially with the Jalen Brunson loss.
Will Barton could be a minor piece that can have a large impact on Dallas because he will be a microwave off the bench, playing behind Spencer Dinwiddie. The Frank Ntilikina and Jaden Hardy spots could be upgraded to Barton, especially with his experience in the postseason already. Moreover, Dallas has movable contracts like Davis Bertans or Dwight Powell that could make the money work with the Wizards.
Over the last couple of years, there has been a myriad of guards or wings that have been mentioned to help the duo of Chris Paul and Devin Booker. Guys like Terry Rozier, Kyle Kuzma, and Jordan Clarkson are some of the popular names, but that might be wishing a bit too much for the Phoenix fans. With Jae Crowder still on their payroll and sitting at home, they might be able to move him for a package centered around Will Barton.
Both of these guys have been having the worst years of their careers, so this swap could materialize on both sides. Barton will come off the bench as an alternative to both Landry Shamet and Damion Lee. Barton can create his shot better than the two other guys, so head coach Monty Williams can rotate these three guys based on who is hot or their matchup in the NBA Playoffs.
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