The Denver Nuggets have spent most of free agency keeping a low profile, but one of their biggest summer decisions is still hanging out there: what to do with restricted free agent Peyton Watson.
Watson’s future has long been expected to end with a new deal in Denver. He broke out last season, put himself on the radar as a real priority for the Nuggets’ future, and gave the team exactly the kind of athletic, defensive wing presence it needs moving forward. Even so, a week into free agency, the two sides still haven’t gotten close to an agreement.
The issue, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer, comes down to money and where Watson believes he belongs on the Nuggets’ salary scale.
“I do believe the Nuggets-- when it's all said and done-- want to keep Peyton Watson,” Fischer reports. “He is their best bet at having someone on their roster emerge as a really legitimate bonafide creator, that's not named Nikola Jokic, that's not named Jamal Murray.”
“He's got the highest ceiling of anybody else on that roster. But they're having a bit of a disagreement in what his salary structure should look like.”
Christian Braun’s five-year, $125 million extension from the fall has become a major reference point in the talks. That deal set a clear number in Denver’s mind, and Fischer said it has shaped the way the organization is approaching Watson’s next contract.
“Christian Braun's five-year, $125 million rookie scale extension from the fall; that has set a clear anchor in these negotiations, where almost universally in Denver, the Nuggets leadership all value Peyton Watson more than Christian Braun,” Fischer continued.
“So for Peyton Watson's side, you better believe they want more than $25 million, and I don't think Denver really wants to stomach the pill of paying Peyton Watson much more than that.”
Watson’s camp is pushing for a number above the $25 million annual value Braun received in October, while Denver appears reluctant to go that high. The tension is rooted in how the Nuggets view Watson compared with Braun: Watson is two years younger, had the stronger season, and fits the team’s need for a versatile two-way wing.
For now, the Nuggets still want to keep Watson in the fold. But if the gap in negotiations doesn’t close, a sign-and-trade has started to emerge as a possible path, with the LA Clippers mentioned as a team that could be willing to pay Watson and send Denver assets back.
Where this goes next is still unclear. Denver either has to raise its offer, or Watson’s side has to come down. Either way, the outcome will have a real impact on the Nuggets’ summer and the shape of the roster they’re trying to build for next season and beyond.
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