Days after his sign-and-trade to Cleveland became official, Peyton Watson thanked Denver with a heartfelt farewell note to the fans and the organization.
Peyton Watson finally said his goodbye.
The Denver Nuggets sent him to Cleveland in a five-team deal that became official last week, and this week Watson posted a farewell message on Instagram addressed to Nuggets Nation and the city of Denver.
Watson thanked the fans for taking care of him through the first four years of his career, writing that he arrived as a young player who had not seen much of the real world and that Denver looked after him better than he could have imagined.
A Goodbye With Real Warmth
Most of the message was about the people in the building.
"Playing this game every night on the national stage is difficult on both the body and the mind, but the love from the fans always makes it so worthwhile. I will miss seeing you all at Ball Arena," Watson wrote.
He went on to thank Calvin Booth for believing in him out of UCLA, the Kroenke family, his coaches and a long list of teammates, calling Aaron Gordon his big brother and crediting Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray for assists on and off the floor.
He closed by telling the fans he would see them all soon and signed it P-Wat.
What the Trade Actually Was
Watson's exit was a sign-and-trade, completed August 21 as part of a five-team deal involving Cleveland, Denver, the Clippers, Charlotte and Washington, per the Cavaliers' official announcement.
Watson signed a four-year, $88 million contract in the move, while Denver received Cleveland's 2031 first-round pick and a 2032 second-round pick.
Max Strus landed with the Clippers and Dennis Schroder went to Charlotte in the same deal.
Some have argued the front office was smart to prioritize other players over a new Watson contract, while Rich Paul, his agent, hinted at the cost of losing him down the road.
Watson leaves after averaging 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 54 games last season, his fourth year in Denver after he went 30th overall in the 2022 draft.
The pick-heavy return says the front office chose future flexibility over paying him through his prime, and reasonable people can argue that decision either way.
What is harder to argue with is how rarely a departure from a contender ends with a goodbye this warm, because most exits of this size leave at least a little public bitterness behind.
Where Denver Goes From Here
The Nuggets are moving forward with a retooled bench.
Denver agreed to a one-year deal with DeMar DeRozan after Sacramento waived him earlier this summer, a pursuit that had reportedly been building for months.
The core remains the group that went 54-28 and finished third in the Western Conference before falling to Minnesota in the first round.
Watson's defense will be missed in that mix, but the goodbye did not read like a grudge, and Denver fans, who watched him grow from a project into a real contributor, will likely return the love whenever he plays at Ball Arena again.
