Jon Barry expects to compete for a starting spot with the Nuggets, but won't be disappointed if he comes off the bench.

"Starting doesn't really concern me," Barry said. "I've been able to finish games pretty much for the last four or five years of my career, and that's what really matters, being on the floor at the end of games when it counts."

Barry, a 6-foot-5, free-agent shooting guard, signed a one-year contract with the Nuggets on Tuesday worth close to $2 million.

In all likelihood, he will back up Rodney White.

"Whatever coach (Jeff) Bzdelik wants to do, I'm cool with," Barry said. "The last few teams I've been with, the bench has really been the strength of our team."

Barry played the past two seasons for the Detroit Pistons, leading a key group of reserves nicknamed "The Alternators." The 11-year NBA veteran averaged 6.9 points and 2.6 assists in 18.4 minutes per game last season.

Jeff Trepagnier and Vincent Yarbrough also will compete for playing time at shooting guard. Even so, Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe said he would like to add another shooting guard. The top free-agent candidates remaining are Toronto's Voshon Lenard, a former Nugget, and San Antonio's Stephen Jackson.