Will Barton

William Denard Barton, born on January 6, 1991, in Baltimore, Maryland, embarked on his basketball journey at a young age, attending multiple high schools including Baltimore City College, National Christian Academy, Lake Clifton Eastern High School, and Brewster Academy. He was a highly-rated recruit, considered the best shooting guard by Scout.com and ESPN.com in 2010. Barton’s collegiate career at the University of Memphis was marked by impressive performance. In his freshman year (2010-2011), he led the Memphis Tigers in minutes per game (30.6) and scoring (12.3 points per game). His sophomore season (2011-2012) was a breakout, where he led the Tigers in points per game (18.0) and rebounds per game (8.0), earning him the Conference USA Player of the Year award. He finished his college career averaging 15.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game.

Barton declared for the 2012 NBA Draft, where he was selected 40th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers. He made his NBA debut on November 2, 2012. During his time with the Trail Blazers, he also spent periods with the Idaho Stampede in the NBA Development League. A notable moment occurred in February 2014, when he recorded a season-high 20 points and a career-high 11 rebounds against the Brooklyn Nets, leading to the coining of his nickname, “The People’s Champ.” In February 2015, Barton was traded to the Denver Nuggets. He re-signed with the Nuggets in August 2015 and quickly became a key player, scoring a career-high 26 points in November 2015 and surpassing that with 32 points a month later. His strong performance led to recognition as a contender for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award. He continued to demonstrate consistent growth, setting new career highs in points and assists with the Nuggets over subsequent seasons. In March 2022, Barton notably surpassed J. R. Smith to become the Denver Nuggets’ all-time leader in made three-pointers.

Following his impactful tenure with the Nuggets, Barton was traded to his hometown team, the Washington Wizards, in July 2022. He averaged nearly eight points per game before a contract buyout in February 2023 led him to sign with the Toronto Raptors. After a brief period with the Raptors, Barton ventured into international leagues, signing with CSKA Moscow in the VTB United League in January 2024, although he left before playing any games. He then played for Covirán Granada in the Spanish ACB and Cangrejeros de Santurce in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional in 2024. In September 2024, he signed with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, with his contract terminated in November of the same year. He then signed with the Atléticos de San Germán for the 2025 season before announcing his retirement from professional basketball on April 24, 2025.