The Nuggets have announce their four-player trade with the Wizards, in which Denver acquired guards Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith in exchange for guard Monte Morris and guard/forward Will Barton, who are on their way to Washington.
New Nuggets head of basketball operations Calvin Booth confirmed the trade in a press release.
Washington has been on the lookout for help in the backcourt, after agreeing to a maximum contract with Bradley Beal. Theoretically, both Morris and Barton will be able to help immediate with ballhandling and facilitating duties, while proving capable of scoring themselves.
Meanwhile, Denver is getting more experience in its own backcourt, with Caldwell-Pope offering additional outside shooting. The Nuggets are also expected to see the return of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. from injuries.
If Smith plays even one game for the Nuggets, he will have set the record for number of NBA teams by one player with 13, per researcher Matt Williams of the Wizards.
Morris, 27, is 6-foot-2 and appeared in 75 games last season with the Nuggets, averaging 12.6 points, 4.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds. He is likely to be an immediate starter next to Beal and Kristaps Porzingis.
Barton, 31, is 6-6 and plays everywhere from small forward to point guard. He averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 71 appearances.
Caldwell-Pope, 29, is 6-5 and compiled averages of 13.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 77 games last season.
And Smith, 33, is 6-0 and appeared in 65 games, averaging 6.3 points and 3.8 assists.
Per the official press release:
Caldwell-Pope, 29, has appeared in 683 career games (541 starts) for Detroit, L.A. Lakers and Washington, holding career averages of 11.6 points, 3.1 rebounds 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 42.1% from the field and 36.0% from three in 29.2 minutes per game. Caldwell-Pope was an integral part to the Lakers championship run in 2020, playing in 21 games (all starts), averaging 10.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 29.0 minutes per game. The nine-year NBA veteran was originally selected with the eighth overall selection in the 2013 NBA Draft by Detroit after spending two seasons at the University of Georgia.
Smith, 34, has played in 719 games (167 starts) over his 12-year career with Houston, Memphis, Golden State, Orlando, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Detroit, Washington and Charlotte. He holds career averages of 7.6 points, 3.9 assists and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 43.0% from the field and 32.5% from three. Smith was originally undrafted in the 2010 NBA draft after playing four seasons at Wake Forest.
Barton, 31, appeared in 479 games (279 starts) for the Nuggets over eight seasons, averaging 14.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 43.3% from the field in 30.4 minutes per game. He also played in 29 playoff games (nine starts), averaging 11.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 26.5 minutes. Barton was acquired via trade from Portland in 2015 and leaves Denver as the franchise leader in three-point field goals (804).
Morris, 27, played in 280 games (105 starts) over five seasons for Denver, holding career averages of 10.5 points, 3.7 assists and 2.0 rebounds while shooting 48.1% from the field and 39.4% from three in 25.2 minutes per game. In his Nuggets career, he dished out 1042 assists and only 218 turnovers. Morris also appeared in 48 playoff games (10 starts) for the Nuggets, averaging 9.5 points, 3.5 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 22.3 minutes. He was originally drafted by the Nuggets with the 51st pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
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