Nikola Jokić knew there was a chance that Peyton Watson had already played his final game for the Denver Nuggets because of the forward's looming restricted free agency. He's been in the league long enough to understand how things go, so when he said at the end of the season (and again a few weeks ago) that he wants to remain in Colorado, it probably wasn't contingent on whether the 23-year-old would stay or go.
Still, it's not a good look for Denver to lose Watson without getting a player in return, even with the Nuggets' already complicated finances. They did get a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a 2032 second-round pick via the Kings, but that doesn't do Jokić any good unless the team can use their assets to land a high-level player, which is what they wanted to do in a P-Wat deal.
Denver is worse off than it was at the start of the offseason. If that was the plan, then the Nuggets are right on track! But there's no way that was the case. After all, Jokić's future is at stake.
Nuggets need to do better by Jokic
Not long after Minnesota eliminated Denver in the playoffs, Josh Kroenke said everything was on the table outside of a Jokić trade. Since they've had a relatively quiet offseason up until the Watson trade, you can assume they're running it back. That's the right direction, as it'd be wrong not to take that stance with Jokić still dominating, but they haven't really executed it well—or at all.
You have to wonder how another early exit would affect Jokić's stance on wanting to retire with the Nuggets, if it will. It's still hard to believe that he'd change his tune, but if Denver disappointed again next season, could you really blame him?
It's been scary enough knowing that he is waiting until next offseason to sign an extension, even though it means he can sign for more money and more years. Jokić could decline his $62.8 million player option to hit free agency, or he could opt in and request a trade. It's even scarier now, looking at the West and back at the Nuggets' roster, wondering how they'll make another title run.
Denver didn't trade Watson to test Jokić's loyalty, but they didn't really seem to be thinking about his future, either. And his future should've been at the forefront of their minds for a while now, but even more so because of his contract status.
Not maximizing the roster around Jokić over the past few years is bad enough, but losing him as a direct result of it would be catastrophic. There won't be another player like him again in the NBA, much less in Denver, so you'd think the Nuggets would take advantage of that, but alas, here we are.
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