The Denver Nuggets found themselves in a tough position heading into Thursday night's matchup against the Washington Wizards. Having faced the Wizards in the first leg of their three-game home stand, the Nuggets lost their last two contests, heading to Washington looking to avoid a three-game losing streak.

Luckily, the Nuggets were set to return Jonas Valanciunas to the lineup, seeing their first action with a true center in 11 games, the last time Valanciunas was out on the floor for them. Even though the Wizards aren't the strongest opponent, it wasn't an easy contest for Denver.

Unfortunately for the Wizards, they couldn't get their shots to fall, converting just 38% of their field goal attempts as they took advantage of it with a 107-97 victory on Thursday. Despite 14 offensive rebounds by the Wizards, Denver was still able to control the glass as a whole, in large part to Valanciunas' return.

While Jamal Murray continued his All-Star campaign with 24 points and five assists, it was Peyton Watson who led the way on Thursday, scoring a career-high 35 points to go with eight rebounds, three assists, four blocks, and two steals. A breakout season for the young wing, Watson is earning every extra dollar for his upcoming extension.

After the game, Watson was asked about what has led to his recent uptick in play, as he's averaged 23 points per game in January. In response, Watson attributed it to a mindset adaptation.

"Just the fearless, the audacity to go out there and do it against the best in the world," Watson said. "That's what means the most to me is a mindset and mentality behind it."

Watson has been viewed as a good defensive player prior to this season, but now he's becoming an offensive option that can't be ignored on this Nuggets team once they get to full strength. Shooting over 40% from three and attempting around 3.5 per game, Watson is providing much-needed spacing for the offense.

As mentioned, Watson is in the final year of his rookie contract, as he's set to enter restricted free agency this offseason if he's unable to come to terms on an extension with the Nuggets. Denver already has five players making $21 million or more next season, and two of those are over $50 million.

That doesn't mean Denver can't find a way, but they might have to explore trading away Cameron Johnson to justify extending Watson, who could command $20 million annually. If not, teams like the Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz, and Washington Wizards could look to add the young wing to their core.