Will Barton of the Denver Nuggets handles the ball against the Phoenix Suns on October 20, 2021. (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)Photo: Getty Images
Welcome to the gig.
New Denver nuggets general manager Calvin Boothe is already wheeling and dealing.
According to multiple media reports, the Nuggets are trading guard/forward Will Barton and guard Monte Morris to the Washington Wizards in exchange for forward Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and guard Ish Smith.
Shams Charania of The Athletic was the first to report the pending deal.
Caldwell-Pope, 29, was the Detroit Pistons' first round pick (8th overall) in 2013. Last year with the Wizards, he averaged 13.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 77 games. He shot 39.0% from three-point range (159-408). He was with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2017-2021 before joining the Wizards last year.
Smith, 33, has been with 12 NBA teams since he broke into the league in during the 2010-2011 season. Last season, he averaged 8.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game.
Barton and Morris have both been key pieces to the Nuggets roster the last several years.
Barton, 31, is entering the final year of a two-year, $30 million contract, started 71 games for the Nuggets last year. He averaged 14.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists.
Morris has two years left on his deal and is due $9.1 million in 2022-2023. A season ago, with Jamal Murray out because of a torn ACL, Morris averaged 12.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists while starting 74 of the 75 games in which he played. The Nuggets drafted Morris in the second round (51st overall) out of Iowa St. in 2017. He has been with the Nuggets for all five years of his NBA career.