The Denver Nuggets have a Peyton Watson problem. Not the player himself — they like him a lot. It’s the math that’s the issue.
Watson is a restricted free agent this offseason, and after a strong 2025-26 regular season where his offensive game took a real step forward, his price tag is climbing fast. The Nuggets are already brushing against the second apron, and keeping everyone together is going to take some creative accounting or a willingness to pay a serious luxury tax bill.
According to NBA insider Sam Amick, Denver intends to match any offer sheet Watson signs when the league’s moratorium lifts on Monday. The team wants him back. But there is a catch. Amick reports that while the Nuggets and Watson’s agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports remain apart on contract terms, the team is very open to a sign-and-trade for the 23-year-old forward.
This is a classic Nuggets roster squeeze. They already have Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic eating up max-level money. Aaron Gordon is on a big deal. Michael Porter Jr. is making serious cash. And now they have to decide if they want to pay Watson, keep Christian Braun, and potentially add a wing like Cam Johnson to the mix.
Rumors had the Nuggets in trade talks involving Johnson and Braun earlier in the offseason. Those talks quieted down once free agency started. Now Denver is reportedly telling teams they aren’t shopping Johnson anymore, especially after Jaylen Brown agreed to join the 76ers and took one potential trade target off the board.
So here is the real question for Denver. Can the Kroenke family stomach going into the second apron to keep this group together? If they are willing to pay, Watson stays and the Nuggets run it back with a deep roster. If not, Watson could be the piece that gets moved in a sign-and-trade that brings back something Denver needs more — maybe a shooter, maybe a backup big, maybe just salary relief.
Watson turned 23 during the season and has shown he can defend multiple positions while adding scoring off the dribble. That kind of two-way potential doesn’t come cheap. The Nuggets know what they have. They just have to figure out if they can afford to keep it.
Leave a Comment