The Nuggets have been looking for a more aggressive version of Peyton Watson on offense, and that’s exactly what they got on Wednesday night. P-Wat had one of the best games of his career, scoring 32 points and adding 12 rebounds on 13/19 shooting and 5/9 three-point shooting.
Watson has been filling in for Christian Braun in the starting lineup since his ankle injury, and the team has been looking for him to lean into his offense and put pressure on the defense. That’s what he did in Wednesday’s win over the Pelicans, and the results were beautiful.
He looked like an outstanding offensive player, one who can be a key cog on a team, and at least a secondary option. The problem is, if he keeps pushing toward that ceiling, it becomes less and less likely that Watson will reach those highs with the Nuggets.
After not reaching an extension in the offseason, Watson is in line to hit restricted free agency this summer, and while the Nuggets can technically match any offer, they are going to be up against some seriously tight financial limitations.
If Watson keeps playing like this, he’s going to catch the eye of teams with cap space, and someone will surely talk themselves into a young player with size and athleticism who could potentially become a two-way dynamo in a new role, with more responsibility.
Nuggets won't be able to afford Watson extension in free agency
Frankly, that just isn’t going to happen in Denver, and the Nuggets won’t be able to pay him what he’s looking for. The better he plays, the clearer it becomes that he won’t be re-signing with the Nuggets this offseason. He’s essentially playing his way off the team and proving that he’s worthy of a bigger role.
But the Nuggets are already heavily invested in their starting lineup with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, and Christian Braun. There isn’t enough money to sign another young player to a big extension, and there isn’t even enough opportunity for Watson to reach his full potential.
It’s a tough spot for the Nuggets to be in. Watson is crucial to the team this season, but playing well all but guarantees his exit after the season. The toughest decision will come around the trade deadline. Denver will have to decide if it’s better to keep Watson for this season and risk losing him for nothing in free agency or try to trade him and get something back, but risk weakening the team this year.