Toronto Raptors Sign Veteran Wing Player Will Barton, Waive Juancho Hernangomez

• The Toronto Raptors signed guard Will Barton for the remainder of the season
• He became a free agent after the Washington Wizards bought out his contract
• Juancho Hernangomez was waived by the Raptors in a corresponding move

The Toronto Raptors bolstered their lineup ahead of the March 1 deadline, signing free agent Will Barton for the rest of the season.

The team announced the deal on Tuesday, but the contract's financial terms were not disclosed.

Barton became available to teams after he was bought out by the Washington Wizards earlier this month.

Why did Washington waive Barton?

He struggled with the Wizards, averaging 7.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 40 games played with Washington this season. He shot just 38.7% from the floor, including 38% from the 3-point area, per NBA.com.

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Barton managed to reach double figures in scoring 11 times this season. His lack of offensive production was one of the reasons why his playing time dropped, with the veteran wing player averaging just 19.6 minutes of action for Washington.

Barton was waived by the Wizards on February 21, opening the door for him to be recruited by playoff contenders.

He played college ball at Memphis from 2010 to 2012. Barton was named the Conference USA Player of the Year during his sophomore year.

He suited up for the Raptors in the game against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday. He ended up scoreless in four minutes of action.

Raptors part ways with Hernangomez

Barton’s gain ended up being Juancho Hernangόmez’s loss as the Raptors waived the Spanish star in a corresponding move.

He averaged 2.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in 42 games with Toronto this season after signing as a free agent in July 2022. Given his track record on the offensive end, the Raptors opted to sign Barton and release Hernangomez.

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Barton moves to Toronto

Sports Brief recently reported on the Wizards waiving Barton.

He made 284 starts in his NBA career, most of which came during his time in Denver.

With his move to Toronto, Barton now has the opportunity to make a deep playoff run.