Michael Porter Jr. keeps sending the same message this summer: Brooklyn makes sense for Peyton Watson.
Whether Porter is stirring the pot or seriously trying to engineer a reunion, he’s been openly pushing the idea of Watson landing with the Nets. And if the restricted free agent ever does become available in a sign-and-trade, Brooklyn has the kind of setup that could actually make it work.
Porter and Watson are friends, so the offseason hangouts are no surprise. The part that raised eyebrows was Porter’s comment at Fanatics Fest, where he was caught on video saying, "He (Watson) boutta sign for $130 million. I'm tryna get him in Brooklyn, though," while the two were together.
That wasn’t the only clue. New images have also surfaced of Porter showing Watson around Brooklyn’s practice facilities and weight room, a reminder of the kind of setup the Nets can offer that Denver simply can’t match for a free agent.
From a basketball and transaction standpoint, Brooklyn checks a lot of boxes too. The Nuggets would want a strong return in any Watson sign-and-trade, ideally something in the range of what the Utah Jazz got for Walker Kessler when he was signed and traded to the Los Angeles Lakers: two future first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps.
The Nets have the draft capital to meet that kind of ask. They also sit under the salary cap and well below the luxury tax line. The one complication is the salary matching, which would likely require a third team to help complete the deal, but that sort of workaround is always on the table in the NBA.
Watson would also fit what Brooklyn is trying to build. With Porter as the star, the Nets could view Watson as a young wing who grows into a co-star role alongside him.
For Denver, the financial pressure is real. The Nuggets are right up against the NBA’s second apron and the harsh tax penalties that come with it, so moving one core piece last season made sense from a cap standpoint. The expectation had been that Cameron Johnson would be the one to go, with Watson staying in Denver for the long haul.
That hasn’t played out so far. The Nuggets haven’t been shopping Cam this summer, and signs point to keeping him for next season. That leaves a Watson sign-and-trade as a way to bring in future first-round picks instead of simply clearing salary by moving Johnson.
In other words, it may be the cleaner path for Denver now and a way to get younger later. Porter, naturally, is doing his part to make the Brooklyn option look as appealing as possible. Or he’s just having fun with everybody.
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LaMelo Ball Trade Could Hand Nuggets A Lifeline This Summer
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After moving LaMelo Ball, the Hornets created a sizable trade exception that could let them take on a meaningful contract without sending much back, which is exactly the sort of mechanism that can ease a contenders cap pressure. For Denver, that opens a possible escape hatch if it needs to clear room and stay out of the second-apron bind, while Charlotte would be getting the kind of forward depth and veteran presence it has been light on. [Read more 🡒]