Rich Paul says Peyton Watson’s path to free agency shaped a decision that kept him out of the Nuggets’ 2026 playoff run.
On his Game Over podcast, the Klutch Sports Group CEO said Watson was in a tricky spot as a restricted free agent while dealing with a hamstring issue, and that he had to keep the forward from pushing too hard to get back on the floor.
“So, he was a restricted free agent,” Paul said. “You got to remember, he did not finish the season.
He didn’t play in the playoffs. He was dealing with a hamstring injury, soft tissue injury.
And when you dealing with those injuries, you have to be very careful in your return. Now, mind you, the playoffs is coming up, guys want to play.
“You have to protect them from themselves in that moment,” Paul continued. “Because you up for a contract and it’s the playoffs, and I’ve had a pretty good year, so I need to play, and it’s important to protect that.”
Watson clearly had incentive to suit up. He put together a strong 2025-26 season, averaging 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. But Paul’s concern was simple: don’t let a soft tissue injury turn into something worse and jeopardize a major payday.
The injury first hit in Denver’s 134-127 double-overtime loss to the New York Knicks on Feb. 4, 2026, when Watson suffered a right hamstring strain. He sat out 19 games, then came back in the Nuggets’ 128-112 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on March 22.
For a while, that return looked like it might line up perfectly with the stretch run. Watson had time to get back into rhythm before the postseason.
That plan unraveled on April 1, when he left Denver’s 130-117 win over the Utah Jazz with right hamstring tightness. In hindsight, that was his final game in a Nuggets uniform.
Denver closed the 2025-26 season at 54-28 and earned the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. That sent them into a first-round matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves, a series that began April 18. Watson didn’t appear in Game 1 or in Minnesota’s closeout Game 6 win on April 30, officially missing the entire series with a right hamstring strain.
It’s fair to wonder what the Nuggets might have looked like with him. Watson had become one of their better defenders, and Denver struggled badly on that end against Minnesota. He also made real progress offensively and had developed into a solid two-way wing.
That kind of player was going to draw attention, especially with restricted free agency arriving at the right time. As long as there wasn’t a serious injury concern, Watson looked positioned for a substantial contract.
That’s why Paul’s stance makes sense from the agent’s side. A hamstring issue can turn into a much bigger problem in a hurry, and a severe setback could cost a player millions.
But the Nuggets would have had their own view of it, too. If a player is able to go, teams want him out there. There’s room to see both arguments.
In the end, Watson landed a four-year, $88 million deal with the Cavaliers in a sign-and-trade. Denver’s return was the Cavaliers’ 2031 first-round pick, the Washington Wizards’ 2032 second-round pick, and Julian Reese, who has since been waived.
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