Will Barton, Wizards Finalize Contract Buyout

The Wizards and guard/forward Will Barton have reached agreement on a contract buyout, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The move had been expected for some time, as Barton had fallen out of coach Wes Unseld Jr.’s rotation.

Barton, 32, was acquired before the season in a trade with the Nuggets, along with guard Monte Morris.

“It hasn’t worked out and going back to his hometown of DC for some reason he just hasn’t been able to stick in the rotation,” Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report said the This League Uncut Podcast with Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

“He feels like he’s still the player he was, he still thinks he could still be a prominent player in a reserve role. And I was told he would like to play on a contending team and so you got look for teams like Milwaukee or Brooklyn for that matter.”

Barton is averaging 7.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists, his lowest in each category since the 2014-15 season.

Players must be waived by March 1 to be eligible for playoff rosters.

Washington Wizards guard Will Barton has completed a contract buyout ahead of the March 1 deadline to become eligible to join a playoff roster on a new team, sources tell ESPN. Barton will become a free agent once he clears waivers.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 21, 2023