We’ve long speculated this would be the case, and now Marc Stein has confirmed it in his latest reporting, stating that the Nuggets are expected to shop Christian Braun and Cam Johnson in an effort to dump salary so that they can re-sign Peyton Watson to an extension. It seemed clear that after the season P-Wat had, the Nuggets had to bring him back in restricted free agency, but it also seemed clear that the team wanted to shed salary.
Those two ideals are obviously at odds, so the natural belief was that, rather than pay an exorbitant tax bill, Denver would shop one of their starters to prioritize Watson. And if Stein’s sources can be believed, that is indeed the expectation around the NBA.
Denver has Braun starting a 5-year, $125 million extension next season, while Johnson is entering the final year of his deal and due $23.1 million. As Stein notes, Cam will be easier to deal, coming off a better year and on an expiring deal, while CB struggled badly with a monster extension about to kick in.
Nuggets should not be salary-dumping good players
Ultimately, keeping Watson is the right move. He broke out last season and looks like he can be a second or third option with great size and athleticism. He flashed shooting, passing, and playmaking and stepped into a much bigger role while staying consistent as starters were in and out of the lineup all season.
Is Stan Kroenke being too cheap?
Add that to a strong defensive skill set at just 23 years old, and this is absolutely someone the Nuggets need to prioritize. The problem is how they arrived here, and the idea that they have to essentially give away good players just to keep Watson in Denver. They chose Braun over Watson last fall, a decision that almost immediately looked disastrous, and now, as they often do, they’ll pay for the sins of the past.
We’re entering the later part of Nikola Jokic’s prime, and his window to win more championships as the best player on a team is likely dwindling. The front office has botched things badly, but there’s no reason that Stan Kroenke can’t foot a large tax bill for a year or two in order to put the best possible supporting cast around Jokic.
That would mean keeping all of Johnson, Braun, and Watson. Those are three versatile, athletic players with size, strength, and athleticism. The Nuggets are desperate for more of those players, and the idea that they seem almost certain to hand one over to another team is shameful.
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