Peyton Watson’s exit from Denver is still the kind of move that can leave fans grumbling for a long time. The Nuggets did bring back a future first-round pick, but that only softens the blow so much when the player going out the door was viewed as a long-term piece.
There is, however, one way the whole thing can look a little less painful: Cam Whitmore.
Whitmore was not technically part of the Watson trade, but the chain of events that followed that deal led him straight to Denver. He was with the Wizards and got folded into the five-team Watson trade just to make the math work.
From there, he was sent to Cleveland, and the Cavs waived him, absorbing $1.8 million in dead cap for each of the next three seasons. That move opened the door for Whitmore to become a free agent, and the Nuggets jumped in with a two-way deal that uses 0% of the salary cap.
That doesn’t mean Denver suddenly landed a finished product. Whitmore has not done much yet in his career, and he still has plenty to prove before anyone talks about him as a reliable NBA roster player.
But he is young, athletic and still carrying real upside, which makes him exactly the type of swing Denver should be taking. He is not Watson, and he has not accomplished what Watson has, but he does give the Nuggets a possible path to claw back some value from the deal.
Whitmore was actually regarded as the better prospect coming out of college, and his draft slide caught some people off guard. Houston dropped him into a crowded wing rotation, then Washington sent him into a messy situation. He is only 22, and there is still a chance the right environment unlocks him.
That is the bet Denver is making. Playing next to Nikola Jokic could help Whitmore tap into the athleticism, burst and playmaking that Watson took with him. The defense may not be at the same level, but Whitmore has the chance to be the stronger offensive player.
For now, it is all about projection. The talent is there, the pedigree is there, and the downside is minimal. If you want to view Whitmore as an indirect addition from the Watson trade, that makes the whole thing a little easier to stomach.
And if Whitmore actually settles in as an NBA rotation player and breaks through in Denver, the Nuggets could end up looking like the winners after all. In that case, the Whitmore pickup could go down as a real steal.
In Other News...
Cam Whitmore Arrives With One Big Chance To Help Denver
Cam Whitmore is getting another shot to reset his NBA trajectory, this time in Denver. The former first-round pick has already been through Houston and Washington without landing a lasting role, and now the Nuggets are bringing him in on a two-way arrangement that gives the team a low-risk look at a young wing with obvious pedigree and plenty to prove.
For Whitmore, the appeal is clear: a chance to show he can earn more than a temporary roster foothold and carve out a real place in a veteran-contending environment. For Denver, it is equally practical, with the flexibility to evaluate him without making a long-term commitment while the front office watches to see whether his talent can translate into regular rotation value. [Read more 🡒]
Christian Braun Suddenly Has Real Pressure In Denver's Closing Lineup
Christian Brauns late-game role in Denver suddenly looks a lot less settled than it did a year ago. After thriving in clutch moments last season, he has struggled badly in those situations this year, and the Nuggets have given themselves another option by adding DeMar DeRozan, a veteran whose reputation has long been built on steady scoring when possessions get tight.
Braun is still part of the closing conversation, but the margin for error is thinner now. If the Nuggets keep leaning into experience and shot-making in crunch time, there is a real path for a different look at the end of games, and the pressure on Braun to reclaim that trust is only going to grow. [Read more 🡒]
Alpha Diallo Could Be More Than The Nuggets Defensive Answer
The Nuggets spent part of their offseason looking for defense, and Alpha Diallo is the kind of addition that fits that brief neatly. The 29-year-old arrives from the EuroLeague with a reputation built over six seasons with AS Monaco, where his value came from defending his position and doing the little things that help a lineup stay organized. For Denver, the appeal is obvious: a player who can bring some edge on one end while trying to carve out a role on a roster built around Nikola Jokic.
What makes Diallo more interesting is that his game does not stop at stopping people. He has shown enough efficiency around the basket to suggest there could be more there if his skills carry over well enough to the NBA, and that matters on a team that always needs complementary pieces who can function without touching the ball much. If he can translate that finishing touch while holding up defensively, the Nuggets may have more than a specialist on their hands. [Read more 🡒]