Tim Hardaway Sr has a suggestion for the Denver Nuggets this offseason.
The Denver Nuggets are expected to make some moves in the offseason, with executive Josh Kroenke saying that everything is on the table short of trading Nikola Jokic.
The Nuggets haven't made it out of the second round since winning the NBA Championship in 2023. This past season was perhaps their most disappointing yet as they were upset by the six-seed Minnesota Timberwolves in six games.
There was no singular reason for the Nuggets to falter in six games, though not having two x-factor players certainly played a part in their early exit.
There is no excuse for Denver as Minnesota was without Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo from the second half of game four through the rest of the series, but Denver was missing Aaron Gordon for three games and Peyton Watson for the entire series.
The Future of Peyton Watson
Tim Hardaway Sr, the father of Nuggets reserve Tim Hardaway Jr, implored the Nuggets to find a way to retain Watson, a restricted free agent this offseason, going into next year.
"He's a hell of a player. ... Who you gonna get back that's that talented? ... He's worth the money," Hardaway Sr said on FanDuel's Run It Back podcast.
Denver has the right to match any potential contract offer to Watson. It is rumored that he could make anywhere from $24 million to $30 million going into next season.
The Nuggets already have an expensive payroll with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray both set to make over $50 million. Gordon will make $31 millin and Cameron Johnson will make $23 million.
The extension for Christian Braun will also kick in, and he is set to make $21 million.
Is Peyton Watson Worth It?
If the Nuggets want to retain Watson, they would have to go into the second apron, which all teams are looking to avoid.
Of course, they could make another move, with the most likely option seeing Braun being traded elsewhere to make room for Watson's contract.
Watson averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 41% from three in the regular season. When Jokic was sidelined from December 31 to January 29, Watson stepped up.
During that stretch, he averaged 22.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.5 blocks while shooting 48% from the field nd 44% from three.
The hamstring injury that sidelined him on April 4 brought an unfortunate end to a season to his breakout season, and put Denver at a disadvantage going into the playoffs.