Nuggets' stance on Peyton Watson becomes crystal clear at media day

The Nuggets have had some very noteworthy extension talks this offseason, mostly around Nikola Jokic and Christian Braun. But flying under the radar, Peyton Watson is also up for a rookie extension in October, which seems like a much murkier situation than the ones with Jokic and Braun.

But Ben Tenzer provided some clarity on Monday as he took to the podium for media day and stated that Watson is going to have a huge role this season, that the Nuggets feel he’s ready to take a step, and that they hope he’s around for a long time.

This is great to hear because things haven’t exactly gone perfectly for Watson since being drafted. He showed great promise early on, but he has failed to show enough consistency and hasn’t been a mainstay in the team’s rotation. They badly need his skillset, which is fairly unique with this veteran group, but if he can’t earn minutes, it doesn’t amount to much.

With the added depth this summer, and the impending financial crunch with other extensions due, it was fair to wonder if Watson’s time in Denver was running out. They can’t extend everyone, and there are only so many minutes to go around. With a new coach and front office in town, Watson’s future was very much in question.

But if Tenzer can be taken at his word, it sounds like the team has big plans for Watson and that they fully intend to work out an extension and keep him in Denver long-term. 

Extending Watson a lower priority move

The top priority for the Nuggets is obviously doing whatever it takes to retain Nikola Jokic for his entire career. They failed to get an extension done this offseason, but by all accounts, he is fully extended to ink a new supermax next summer. After that, the focus should be on getting a deal done with Braun, who has stepped into a starting role and risen to the occasion.

Braun is going to command a solid chunk of money, which will kick in next season, and make this team very expensive. It was reasonable to surmise that Watson may become a cap casualty, but if Tenzer and the front office intend to keep him in Denver, that’s great news for the team’s prospects.

If ownership is willing to pay, the Nuggets should absolutely do whatever they can to keep the core of this team intact for as long as possible. Jokic’s prime isn’t going to last forever, and they need to maximize his window. Paying up to keep role players like Braun and Watson is a huge part of that, and Nuggets fans should be ecstatic that the team appears to be set on doing so.