The Denver Nuggets want Peyton Watson back. That part is easy. The hard part is figuring out how to pay him without breaking the roster.
According to ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel, the Nuggets are prepared to offer Watson something in the neighborhood of $28 to $30 million per year. That’s a serious commitment for a 24-year-old who just finished his third NBA season and spent the playoffs watching from the sideline with a hamstring injury. But Watson also averaged career highs across the board this year — 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, plus a block per game — and shot 41 percent from three on real volume. That kind of two-way production doesn’t grow on trees, especially for a team that drafted him 30th overall just three years ago.
The problem is the salary cap. The Nuggets are already paying Nikola Jokic a supermax, Jamal Murray is on a max deal, and Michael Porter Jr. isn’t cheap either. Adding $30 million for Watson would put them deep into the tax, and that’s before you even get to filling out the rest of the roster. So something has to give.
The Trade Candidates
The most likely names to get moved, per Siegel, are Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon. Braun is still on his rookie deal and has real value around the league as a young, athletic wing who can defend. Gordon is a proven playoff piece, but at 29 and making around $23 million next season, trading him would create more immediate breathing room. Cam Johnson has also been mentioned as a potential trade chip, though his name floating around in rumors doesn’t guarantee he’s actually going anywhere.
The Nuggets already started the process. They traded out of the first round of the draft to avoid adding another guaranteed salary to the books. That’s a pretty clear signal: they know they need every dollar for Watson.
Other Teams Are Watching
Watson is a restricted free agent, which means Denver can match any offer sheet he signs. But that doesn’t mean other teams won’t push. The Lakers, Bulls, and Nets have all been linked to Watson as potential sign-and-trade destinations. That route would require the Nuggets to cooperate, which they’d only do if they felt the return was worth losing him. Right now, all signs point to Watson staying in Denver.
The former UCLA standout started 40 of the 54 games he played this season and logged just over 29 minutes a night. He shot 49 percent from the floor and 73 percent from the line, and his 41 percent from deep was a major leap from previous seasons. That kind of development from a late-first-round pick is exactly why the Nuggets drafted him in the first place.
Now they just have to figure out who else has to leave to make it work.
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