Peyton Watson made the decision to change his representation on Thursday, moving from Excel Sports to Klutch Sports. Excel represents several other Nuggets players, including Jamal Murray, but it seems that after failing to secure a rookie extension, Watson is looking for a new agent and has gone with Rich Paul’s company.
Klutch has gained a reputation for helping clients control their destination via trades and free agency, and maximizing their earning power. This move makes it clear that Watson is upset at the lack of a deal and wants to make sure he gets everything he’s worth next summer in restricted free agency.
The Nuggets were already going to have a tough time retaining Watson beyond this season, but now the writing is on the wall. Watson is lining up to leave after the season and sign with the highest bidder. It’s a sad reality for Denver, but it’s hard to blame Watson for wanting to make what he’s worth.
Watson will be hot topic ahead of trade deadline
This creates a very tough situation that the Nuggets are going to have to grapple with sooner rather than later. If they play out the season, Watson is going to hit restricted free agency, and although they’ll have matching rights, there’s no way they’ll be able to afford whatever deal he gets offered on the open market.
So, the Nuggets run the risk of losing him for nothing if they don’t move him ahead of the deadline. The problem is that Watson is playing some of the best basketball of his career and has become a very important role player for this Nuggets squad.
They are going to need his defense, secondary playmaking, and energy off the bench, and removing him from the lineup would create a pretty big hole. Watson would have some trade value, but with his low contract that’s expiring, it’s hard to imagine that Denver would get back anything that would help them this season.
So the front office is in a pickle and will have to decide how to proceed with Watson, and whether to prioritize this season or the future. That’s not an easy decision with how well the team is playing, and Watson specifically.
Considering the Nuggets are title contenders right now, and Watson is a big part of that, they likely have to keep him for the playoff run and deal with the repercussions later. Sure, maybe they get offered a great deal that helps them now and later, but that’s unlikely.
The most likely scenario is that they ride it out with Watson and get the most out of him, hope that he helps them win another title, and then live with whatever happens in free agency in the offseason.