Dan Greenberg of BSS believes that all of the available wings signing elsewhere means the lone forward remaining on the open market, Will Barton, could be bound to sign with the Boston Celtics after the Wizards cut him loose from his expiring $14.3 million salary for this season.
Terrence Ross signed with the Suns, Danny Green joined the Cavaliers, and Justin Holiday agreed to terms with the Mavericks — leaving Barton is the remaining wing. John Wall, Patrick Beverley, Stanley Johnson, Bryn Forbes, and Goga Bitadze are all free agents following post-deadline buyouts as well.
Greenberg tweeted out his trusty photo of Marcus Smart doing his best imitation of Auguste Rodin’s famous “The Thinker” while providing a caption featuring undeniable Brian Windhorst “Now Why is That?” vibes:
All the buyout wings but Will Barton finding new homes already...makes you think pic.twitter.com/ZE0W2YPGRv
— Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) February 13, 2023
Will Barton would need to accept minimal role with Boston Celtics
Being that he made a good bit of above the median salary the past several seasons, Barton may be hunting for a big money contract with his next team. The Boston Celtics wouldn’t be able to provide him the same kind of role he had in Denver — instead likely being able to offer similar playing time to what he’s gotten in D.C.
Boston is in a good position to stay the course with Sam Hauser re-finding his shooting stroke, though filling the final roster spot opened up by the Noah Vonleh trade to San Antonio should be a priority. You never know when added depth could come in handy, and money is no object to team ownership in the pursuit of Banner 18 this spring.
With the team addressing the need for a big man, the final step Brad Stevens must take is bringing on a wing who could step in if necessary and isn’t looking for a big role. If Barton could be that guy, great. If not, there are two wings in Maine who would love the job too.