Denver Nuggets wing Will Barton has declined his $14.7 million player option for the 2021-2022 season and will become a free agent, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
There is a strong interest between the team and Barton to negotiate a new deal once free agency opens in August, sources said. Barton, whose seven seasons in Denver make him the longest-tenured Nugget, is a top priority for Nuggets President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly to keep long-term.
Barton missed more than six weeks at the end of the regular season and into the playoffs with a hamstring injury.