The Toronto Raptors moved quickly to add veteran forward Will Barton after he agreed on a contract buyout with the Washington Wizards. Barton inked a deal with the Raptors until the end of the season and will be eligible to play in the postseason if Toronto makes the playoffs.
In order to free up the spot for Barton, the Raptors waived forward Juancho Hernangomez. The Spaniard, known for starring in Netflix’s Hustle, has been averaging 2.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game this season.
Barton joined the Wizards in the offseason as part of the deal that sent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Denver Nuggets. The 32-year-old player played off the bench for Washington, averaging 7.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in less than 20 minutes per game. But when it became clear Burton would have an even more diminished role moving forward, the two sides agreed to part ways before his contract expires in the summer.
Barton already had his first chat with the reporters in Toronto and said that he believes he can help the franchise make a playoff push. The Raptors are currently at No. 9 in the East with a 31-32 record, trailing the sixth-seeded Brooklyn Nets by 3.5 games.
“Definitely a team that’s way better than their record, everyone knows that around the league,” Barton said. “Very talented, well coached, well run organization, so, hopefully we can keep getting wins, get our record better and get into the playoffs.”
