The end of Peyton Watson’s tenure in Denver is going to leave a bad taste in fans' mouths for a long time, and rightly so. Sure, they got a valuable future first-round pick back, but that’s little consolation for losing a young player who was supposed to be a core building block for many years to come.
But one way things could be somewhat salvaged is if the recent two-way signing and former first-round pick, Cam Whitmore, is able to get his career off the ground in Denver. Technically, Whitmore wasn’t acquired in the Watson trade, but that deal indirectly led him to the Nuggets.
Whitmore was on the Wizards and was included in the five-team Watson deal, thrown in to make the numbers work. He was shipped to Cleveland, but the Cavs chose to waive him, taking on $1.8 million in dead cap for each of the next three seasons. Cutting him loose allowed him to hit free agency and gave the Nuggets the ability to scoop him up on a two-way deal, using 0% of the salary cap.
Again, it’s not like Whitmore has done much in his career, or even proven that he’s worthy of an NBA roster spot, but he’s a young, athletic player with tons of potential. That’s exactly the kind of player that Denver should be targeting, and though he hasn’t come close to accomplishing what Watson has in his career, he’s a solid swing at a replacement.
Whitmore still has breakout potential in Denver with zero downside
Whitmore was actually a better prospect coming out of college, and his fall in the draft was a bit of a shock. He landed in a loaded wing room in Houston, then was dealt to a rudderless team in Washington. He’s still just 22 years old, and there’s reason to believe that he could find his footing in the right situation.
Hopefully, that situation is with the Nuggets, playing alongside Nikola Jokic. He can replace some of the athleticism, explosiveness, and playmaking that went out the door with Watson. He may not offer quite the same defensive ability that P-Wat had, but he actually profiles as a better offensive player.
Until he starts to put it together and prove himself, it’s nothing more than potential and upside, but at least the talent and pedigree are there. If you look at the Whitmore signing as a prospect added to the Watson trade (which it essentially was), that eases the sting a bit and makes the deal feel slightly more palatable.
If Whitmore is able to establish himself as an NBA rotation player and breaks through in Denver, then there’s actually a chance that the trade could go down as a win for the Nuggets, and snagging Whitmore could go down as a major steal.
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