STARTING ROLE KEY FOR BARTON TO COME BACK

Will Barton was the ultimate swingman for the Nuggets this season, starting at both shooting guard and small forward, coming off the bench as the sixth man and even spending some time as the backup point guard. He finished averaging 15.7 points, five rebounds and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the floor and 37 percent from 3-point distance — the best numbers of his five-year career.

Now, Barton has a big decision to make, entering this summer as an unrestricted free agent. And though Barton said he would “love” to be part of another Denver playoff push next season, he also expressed a desire to move into a permanent starting role.

“We’re building something real special here,” Barton said Thursday. “I love playing with (Nikola Jokic) and Jamal (Murray) and Gary (Harris). The guys we have in the locker room, I like being around. The coaching staff has really come a long way with trusting me and me trusting them. Just the whole organization, I feel like we’re headed in the right direction.”

Denver’s backcourt is locked up, with Harris signing a lucrative extension before this season and Murray still on his rookie contract. But if Wilson Chandler does not pick up his player option for next season, the 6-foot-6, 190-pound Barton could slide into the Nuggets’ starting small forward spot.

“If I would be able to know I would be a starter coming into next season, that would push me in the offseason,” Barton said.

Millsap finishes “frustrating” season.

Paul Millsap, a four-time all-star and Denver’s marquee free-agent signing, acknowledged that this injury-interrupted season was “by far” his most difficult as a professional.

“Frustrating, to say the least,” said Millsap, referring to the wrist ligament surgery that kept him sidelined for three months and at less than 100 percent after returning in late February.