Well, we may now know why there hasn't been much noise around Peyton Watson and his free agency, aside from the Los Angeles Clippers putting up a mild pursuit for the 23-year-old restricted free agent via sign-and-trade. That pursuit could be thwarted by the Denver Nuggets' sky-high asking price for Watson. But it's a price the Nuggets should be asking for if they let Watson go.
The Nuggets should play hardball with their offer to Watson, since there aren't really any teams coming after him for the money he's been asking for. And they absolutely should be asking for a hefty return in exchange for Watson.
The latest news drop from Jake Fischer and Marc Stein at The Stein Line (subscription required) says the Nuggets want a Walker Kessler-level haul that the Utah Jazz received in their sign-and-trade of the star center to the Los Angeles Lakers.
"Sources maintain that the Nuggets are seeking compensation on par with what Utah received from the Lakers in their recent sign-and-trade swap that made Walker Kessler a Laker.
The Lakers' determined interest in the 7-foot-2 center netted two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps for the Jazz."
At least the Nuggets' heads are in the right spot on this one.
The Nuggets need all the draft capital they can get
Watson wants a contract in the neighborhood of the one that Christian Braun received from the Nuggets last year, a five-year, $125 million extension. But if they can't stomach paying Watson that price and taking on the risk of Watson's upside, then restocking for the future is the right side quest to accomplish.
The Nuggets have no tradable future first-round draft picks, and they've already traded away two future firsts. And they only have four future second-round picks, two of which they acquired this year by trading down in the NBA Draft.
Refilling the cupboard in this situation is the smartest move the Nuggets can make. But the question now is whether the two first-round picks and the pick swaps are too much for the Clippers to consider. Fischer said that could be a real holdup in the deal, rather than the asking price of Watson's contract.
But the Nuggets need to hold firm in both directions. If they trade Watson, they need a great return. If they hang onto him, they need to squeeze him as much as they can for the good of the cap space in the future.
It's a difficult situation for Watson, of course, but it's a business move by the Nuggets. They have to do what they feel is best for the franchise first. Fans just hope that whatever the decision is, the Nuggets find a way to stay competitive
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