Denver Nuggets swingman Will Barton is leaving the NBA bubble down in Florida in order to rehab a nagging knee injury, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post.
Barton hasn't played since a July 27 scrimmage prior to the Nuggets' eight seeding games. The ongoing knee problems are reportedly causing soreness in other areas of Barton's body, so he's getting a second opinion.
Barton is out indefinitely, as was first reported on Tuesday.
This is a tough blow for a Nuggets team that has been dealing with some key absences in the bubble. Gary Harris also hasn't suited up in yet in the bubble due to a hip injury. While Denver has good depth, missing key scorers like Barton and Harris isn't idea when it comes to making a deep playoff run.
Barton has been a solid source of offense for the Nuggets since coming over in a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2014-15 season. In 58 games this season (all starts), the 29-year-old averaged 15.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 45.0% from the field and 37.5% on 3-pointers.
With Barton out of the lineup, Michael Porter Jr. has been starting at small forward. Porter has impressed with his scoring in the bubble, but his defensive issues were on display in a thrilling Game 1 victory over the Utah Jazz in overtime. While getting Porter these reps is important, not having a veteran like Barton to turn to could become an issue as the playoffs go on.
The Nuggets face the Jazz in Game 2 on Wednesday.
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