The Denver Nuggets will have to pay Peyton Watson.
Peyton Watson is set to become a restricted free agent on July 1. As a restricted free agent, the Denver Nuggets will have the right to match any offer made by another team.
Watson is coming off a career year, averaging 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. He shot 49% from the field and 41% from three.
When Nikola Jokic missed January due to an injury, Watson stepped up even further, averaging 22.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 48% from the field and 44% from three.
He was also Denver's best point of attack defender, using his length and athleticism to disrupt offenses and make life miserable for opposing players.
How Much Is Watson Worth?
According to Brett Siegel of Clutch Points, Denver is expected to offer Watson "somewhere north of $28-30 million per year."
For this deal to work, Denver will have to move salary out as Christian Braun is owed $21 million next season and Cameron Johnson is owed $23 million. The Nuggets are already into the first apron, and adding Watson's deal would put them wel into the second apron.
Seeing as no team wants to go into the second apron, Denver will have very little choice but to move Braun or Johnson, possibly both.
Aaron Gordon, who is owed $31 million this season, is also a trade candidate. Trading Gordon could allow them to retain both Braun and Johnson, though they couldn't take back any salary and would need a team to take Gordon's contract into cap space.
Should The Nuggets Do It?
Yes, no question.
Not having Watson likely cost the Nuggets a second-round showdown against the San Antonio Spurs, as they lost in the first round to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Without Watson's defense and creation, Denver's offense was stifled as Jamal Murray failed to get going and Nikola Jokic didn't quite look like himself. On the other side of the ball, Denver has no point of attack defenders to slow down Anthony Edwards, Ayo Dosunmu, or Jaden McDaniels, who went as far as to say that everyone on Denver was a bad defender, so they kept attacking.
Watson will only be 24 at the start of the season, making him the youngest rotation player on the team. He's already proven to be more valuable than Braun and Johnson with his two-way play and ability to carry the offense when Jokic or Murray are out of the lineup.
