A long-time Denver Nugget announced his retirement from the NBA

While the Denver Nuggets are focused on taking back home court advantage in the Western Conference First Round against the Los Angeles Clippers, Will “The Thrill” Barton, who was an important part of multiple playoff runs, announced that he was hanging his shoes up on Wednesday night.

Episode 2 of the NoKutKards Podcast is out now 🥂🥂💎 Will Barton speaks on Retirement , his brother's basketball journey , and battling depression. Link in bio🥂 @WilTheThrillB5 pic.twitter.com/zK5LgIBHZD

— NoKutKardsPodcast (@NoKutKardsPod) April 23, 2025

After beginning his career in Portland, Barton spent eight years in Denver (2014-2022) and finished fourth in Sixth Man of the Year voting on two different occasions (2016, 2018). He averaged 14 points per game with the Nuggets, and has made the fourth-most 3-point field goals in franchise history (804). He broke the record in March of 2022 and held onto first place for a year until Jamal Murray reset the record in March of 2023.

The long-time Nugget was also a part of the memorable 2016 NBA Dunk Contest, as he went up against Aaron Gordon and Zach Levine in arguably the greatest rendition of the event. Earlier in his career, Barton was one of the most entertaining dunkers in the league.

Barton had many memorable performances for Denver, including a 37-point outburst, plus the game-winner, against the Chicago Bulls in 2017, a dagger 3-pointer in Game 4 of the 2022 Western Conference First Round to keep the series alive, and a game-winning rejection against the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2021.

Despite all the good he did for Nuggets Nation, Barton’s departure from the Mile High City was a sour one after the 2022 season. He was thrust into being the third scorer for Denver all season long in the wake of the injuries sustained by Murray and Michael Porter Jr., and many fans were not appreciative of his shot-chucking ways, especially after how he tried to take matters into his own hands in Game 3 against the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs. He shot just over 40% from the field in that five-game series.

FATE OF THE UNIVERSE ON THE LINE. pic.twitter.com/C2PrIqgkO0

— Playoff RB (@RyB_311) April 22, 2022

Along with the shot chucking, Barton was constantly showing poor effort on the defensive end of the floor, and his body language reflected that.

This is why Will Barton drives me insane. You’re supposed to best player on the court tonight. What in the world is this body language on offense then horrendous box out effort on defense?? Just not acceptable. #MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/nfG3g7k9lW

— Will Petersen (@PetersenWill) February 3, 2022

In the summer of 2022, Barton was traded to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, which was arguably the most important roster move that led to the Nuggets winning the 2023 NBA Championship. He played the following season, his last in the league, with the Wizards and the Toronto Raptors.

Barton cited his struggles with mental health as one of the reasons for his announcement, an issue that many professional athletes, especially in the NBA, struggle with. Kevin Love  was one of the first athletes to speak about the seriousness of the issue back in 2018, and Barton is now dealing with similar problems.

Despite the sour exit, Denver will remember Barton for his high-flying dunks and his 3-pointers as he helped build the franchise towards its first title.

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