The offseason is approaching, and the speculation is in full swing for the Denver Nuggets. There has been speculative talk of bargain-free agents or mock trades that would send someone like Jamal Murray or Aaron Gordon away. But the easiest move for the Nuggets in free agency, and figure the rest out later, is re-signing Peyton Watson.
Watson checks too many of the boxes for the Nuggets' needs next season not to be the top priority for the team next summer. Even if that means parting with someone in a salary dump down the road. Why? Because Watson came out of nowhere this year to show everyone that he had an offensive ceiling that was much higher than we thought. And he fits what the Nuggets need on defense, too.
Watson fills many of the Nuggets' needs that were missing in the playoffs
Peyton Watson's presence on the sidelines stung the Nuggets against the Minnesota Timberwolves. They lacked perimeter defense, failing to stop just about anyone attacking the paint. Watson's a great perimeter defender whose quickness and length would have been critical to slowing the paint attack. Nikola Jokic can't do a whole lot when someone is already going downhill too fast.
The Nuggets also lacked the athleticism to create their own shots, and they struggled to get to the rim as a result. Watson showed his creator skills over the month of January while he took over a lead scoring role with Jokic out of the lineup.
Watson averaged a salty 21.9 points on 46.2% three-point shooting during the month, and he showed his defensive flair with 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steals. Watson took his game up a notch, and he showed he could be a legitimate option alongside Jamal Murray and Joker for points on the Nuggets.
Plus, Watson is young, and the Nuggets aren't getting any younger. He's going to be 24 next year, and with the ceiling higher than before, the Nuggets need to make room for Watson at whatever cost to the roster.
Cam Johnson makes sense as a salary dump to keep Watson
Realistically, the Nuggets aren't going to go well into the second-apron tax to run the same roster back. They'll have to cut a large chunk of salary, as Watson is expected to get a contract for north of $20 million per year, and probably higher as he gets bid up.
Cam Johnson is a very likely target because of his salary, $23 million and change for 2026-27. And he's on an expiring contract. The team that takes him can decide whether to extend him or move on after a one-year trial, and they love those deals in a salary dump trade.
If the Nuggets don't bring back Watson, they'll face an even tougher battle against the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder next year. They're just both a step ahead of the Nuggets right now.
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