The offseason may be winding down for most teams, but a handful of notable names are still sitting in limbo. Four players in particular remain tied to unresolved situations, and the next move for each one could shape the rest of the market.
Two of those cases have the familiar tension of restricted free agency attached to them. Nuggets forward Peyton Watson and Pistons center Jalen Duren are both in that holding pattern, with reports that each has thought about signing his qualifying offer and betting on unrestricted free agency next summer instead.
That route would give them more control and, in theory, a wider market. Still, league belief is that Duren would be making a mistake by taking that path, especially with Detroit reportedly prepared to put a sizable offer in front of the All-Star center.
Denver’s dilemma is even trickier because of the money already on its books. The team matched the Thunder’s two-year offer sheet for Spencer Jones, which pushed the Nuggets into the second apron and sent their projected luxury tax bill from $36MM to $68MM.
If Watson were to take the qualifying offer, that tax number could climb to around $112MM next season. A sign-and-trade might seem like the cleanest escape hatch for a player who had been viewed as a top Most Improved Player candidate before his injury, but the Nuggets would not be able to bring players back in that kind of deal, which makes any discussion harder to pull off.
Bennedict Mathurin is in a messier spot still, with the Clippers’ attention tied up elsewhere for the moment. Los Angeles is waiting on the league’s investigation into cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard and the possible effect on the trade it made for Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick. If that deal proceeds as expected, the Clippers would already be sitting at 15 players under contract before even considering a new contract for Mathurin, though Cam Christie’s deal is only partially guaranteed.
The Pistons and Bulls had both been linked to the athletic wing at one point, but both teams appear to have backed away in recent weeks. That leaves Mathurin’s market uncertain if the Clippers decide not to keep him.
Jonathan Kuminga’s situation is different because he is an unrestricted free agent, but his camp still hasn’t found the kind of serious interest it was hoping for at the salary level he wants. Kuminga closed last season with the Hawks and averaged 12.2 points and 5.6 rebounds in 23.1 minutes per game while splitting time between Atlanta and Golden State.
Sacramento has shown interest, but the Kings’ financial position has reportedly made them reluctant to go beyond a minimum contract, which has been a non-starter for the 23-year-old forward so far. The Lakers, Cavaliers, and Timberwolves have also been mentioned as possible suitors as Minnesota keeps searching for a starting-level power forward to slot around its new-look rotation of LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Rudy Gobert. The Timberwolves could only offer the $6.1MM taxpayer mid-level exception, a number that falls short of what Kuminga has been seeking, though the chance to start for a team with championship aspirations could help close some of that gap.
In Other News...
Peyton Watson Just Became Part Of A Bigger Nuggets Decision
The Cavaliers pause on Jonathan Kuminga has shifted their attention toward a different young wing with Denver ties, and Peyton Watson suddenly sits in the middle of a decision that could matter well beyond Cleveland. The Nuggets restricted free agent has drawn interest as a potential sign-and-trade target, with Cleveland looking at him as a fit for a wing spot it wants to upgrade.
To get there, the Cavaliers are also working the math, including possible ways to clear cap room by shopping veteran Dennis Schrder. For Denver, that makes Watson more than just another name in the rumor cycle, because any meaningful movement now has to account for whether the Nuggets are willing to engage on a deal for a player they still control. [Read more 🡒]
Jokic And The Nuggets Get An Early Test Fans Will Obsess Over
The Nuggets will get their first real measuring stick of the new season on Oct. 22, when they open in Oklahoma City against the Thunder at Paycom Center. It is the kind of early matchup that immediately tells you something about where a team stands, and this one brings together the last two MVPs in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic while Denver tries to put last seasons first-round exit behind it.
For the Nuggets, the timing makes it even more intriguing because the roster they bring back looks largely familiar, with the core intact as they head into another title chase. One subplot still hanging around the margins is Peyton Watsons contract situation, but the bigger picture is the same one that will follow Denver from opening night on: whether this group can start sharper and avoid letting a strong regular-season base turn into another short postseason stay. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Face A Peyton Watson Standoff With Real Wing Depth Stakes
The Nuggets are still working through a delicate summer negotiation with Peyton Watson, and the broader issue goes beyond one contract number. Denver has put a deal in the range of $16-18 million per year on the table for the restricted free agent, a figure that signals how much the team values his length, defense and potential on the wing. For a roster that has spent years chasing enough reliable depth around its core, keeping Watson in the fold has taken on real roster-building significance.
There is still a path where the talks drag on and the sides never fully line up, which would leave Denver juggling both short-term rotation needs and long-term control of the player. Watson's market is not just hypothetical, either, with Cleveland emerging as a noteworthy suitor if the Nuggets decide to explore a sign-and-trade. For Denver, the stakes are obvious: either secure a young wing before the situation hardens, or risk watching a useful piece become part of a much messier decision down the road. [Read more 🡒]