Peyton Watson Wants Real Money the Nuggets Are Not Getting a First Round Pick for Him
The Peyton Watson sign-and-trade saga is dragging on because everyone involved wants something different.
Watson is a 23-year-old restricted free agent coming off a breakout season with the Denver Nuggets. He is exactly the kind of young, athletic, defensive-minded wing that every team in the league is looking for. Four teams have reportedly expressed formal interest: the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, and LA Clippers.
None of them have been willing to give the Nuggets what they want.
Denver’s initial ask was a high-level player plus a first-round pick. They have since lowered that to one high-level player and one first-round pick. Even that reduced ask has not been met. The Bucks, Cavaliers, Hawks, and Clippers have all declined to include a first-round pick in their offers.
That leaves Watson in a strange spot. Denver has offered him a five-year, $70 million deal. Watson has not signed. He is one of just three unsigned restricted free agents in the NBA, and the market for him is not what he thought it would be.
The Bucks have been the most creative. Milwaukee would consider absorbing Nuggets forward Zeke Nnaji as part of a Watson sign-and-trade, which would help Denver clear a bad contract. But even that has not been enough to get a first-round pick out of the Bucks. Milwaukee has not exactly stacked draft assets in recent years, and giving up a valuable future pick for a young wing is a big commitment.
The Cavaliers face the same salary cap challenges that have complicated their pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga. Cleveland is trying to stay below the first apron. Adding Watson through a sign-and-trade would require some serious salary matching, and giving up a first-round pick on top of that is a hard sell.
The Hawks and Clippers are less likely to close a deal. Both teams have expressed interest but neither has been particularly aggressive in the pursuit.
Watson himself has an option: accept the Nuggets’ $6.5 million qualifying offer. That would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer and let him hit the open market with a full season of proving himself as a starter. That is the “bet on yourself” play, and it might actually be the smartest one for a player who has been rising fast on the value chart.
For Denver, the situation is delicate. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are the core. Watson has become a critical rotation piece. Losing him for nothing would be a huge blow. Bringing him back on a fair deal is important, even if it costs them financial flexibility.
The Nuggets have shown a willingness to negotiate. They have lowered their asking price. They have made offers. What they have not gotten is anyone willing to actually give up a first-round pick.
At some point, someone has to blink. Watson could accept the qualifying offer and roll the dice on next year. He could sign the $70 million deal from Denver. The Bucks or Cavs could suddenly change their tune and offer a first-round pick. Or the whole thing could drag into September before finally getting resolved.
Watson deserves credit for playing this out patiently. He has not caused a scene. He has not publicly demanded anything. He is just waiting for the right offer, whether that comes from Denver or somewhere else.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
