Peyton Watson’s Price Tag Has Two Teams Ready to Walk Away From Denver

The Denver Nuggets have a problem. They want to keep Peyton Watson. They just might not be able to afford him.

Watson is a restricted free agent, which gives Denver the right to match any offer sheet he signs. But matching only works if the Nuggets are willing to pay what the market sets. And right now, the market is setting a number that makes Denver’s front office sweat.

The Los Angeles Clippers have been sniffing around for weeks. Now the Atlanta Hawks have joined the chase, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer. That gives Watson two potential landing spots if he wants to leave town. But there’s a catch.

The Nuggets want a lot in return. Like, a lot a lot.

Fischer reports that Denver is asking for compensation similar to what Utah got from the Lakers in the Walker Kessler sign-and-trade. That deal netted the Jazz two first-round picks and two pick swaps. For a 7-foot-2 center who blocks shots and changes games. That’s a hefty price for any team to pay.

Atlanta and Los Angeles have both balked at that asking price, according to sources. They like Watson. They just don’t like him enough to gut their future draft capital for him.

Watson is a 6-foot-8 wing who can defend multiple positions and showed flashes of scoring ability last season. He averaged 9.1 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 37.6 percent from three. Not bad for a 22-year-old still figuring out his game. But not exactly the kind of production that typically commands a massive sign-and-trade package either.

Denver’s Dilemma

The Nuggets are already deep into the luxury tax. They have max money tied up in Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. Aaron Gordon’s making $22 million a year. They don’t have cap space to just give Watson a big deal outright.

If they want to keep him, they either need to shed salary elsewhere or convince another team to help them in a sign-and-trade. But if they ask for the moon, nobody’s going to answer the phone.

Denver could theoretically trade someone like Zeke Nnaji to clear cap room. But finding a taker for Nnaji’s contract hasn’t been easy. Teams know the Nuggets are in a bind, and they’re not doing them any favors.

What Happens Next

This could drag out. Watson’s camp might wait to see if a team like the Hawks or Clippers gets desperate enough to meet Denver’s price. Or some third team could emerge from nowhere and change the whole equation.

But the most likely outcome is that the Nuggets eventually lower their asking price. The alternative is letting Watson walk for nothing. And that would be worse than getting a single first-round pick and a role player in return.

For now, Watson waits. Denver waits. And two other teams wait to see if the price tag comes down to something they can actually stomach.