The Denver Nuggets and Peyton Watson are struggling to negotiate. Both sides would appear to be far apart based on the rumors coming out from NBA insiders, and the fact that Watson hasn't signed yet could be a bad sign of things to come if the Nuggets aren't careful. They could end up in the same boat as the Golden State Warriors last year, if it's not already too late, even.
Last year, the talk of the restricted free agency market was the Warriors and their star backup power forward, Jonathan Kuminga. Kuminga wanted more money than the Warriors wanted to pay him, and so he held out. Until October 1st. The two sides finally reached an agreement on a two-year $48.5 million deal. But the damage was done. The bridges were burnt, and Kuminga was traded to the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline after their relationship had soured.
The standoff could be pushing Watson to the same eventual fate
Watson wants a contract in the range of or north of the extension that Christian Braun signed last year with the Nuggets, a five-year $125 million boat-anchor of a contract that will be nearly impossible for the Nuggets to move if Braun doesn't keep developing.
That's a tough sell for the Nuggets, and with the rumored number so high, the Nuggets are already exploring possible sign-and-trades with a sky-high asking price in return. It almost feels as if Watson already has a foot out the door.
The issue was addressed by the All NBA Podcast and hosts Marc Stein and Adam Mares, who pondered whether or not the animosity of the negotiations could lead to a quicker split than fans would like.
"He (Kuminga) did sign, but begrudgingly, and it just felt like a divorce was inevitable. It really extended the window of contention between him and the team. And I just wonder if Duren and Peyton Watson are going to be in the same where, all right, we're going to agree to a number, but I immediately want out," Mares said.
It's a thought that unfortunately needs to be had because we saw a precedent for it last season with the Warriors and Kuminga.
The Nuggets need to do what is best for their finances, unfortunately
At the end of the day, the salary cap situation and all of the exorbitant taxes that the Nuggets face by being a repeat violator of the luxury tax and going over the second apron put the Nuggets in a tough spot. You want to bring Watson back for the future, but they can't stomach the taxes associated with the roster construction.
Add in the contentiousness of the negotiations and the animosity that builds between the player and the team because of the player not getting the money they want, and it's a recipe for the Nuggets to repeat what happened with Kuminga and the Warriors.
We hope that it doesn't, of course. But it looks like the negotiations could drag on for a while.
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