3 Nuggets players who could be sneaky good candidates for Team USA in 2028

Peyton Watson

While Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. seem unlikely, they are within the realm of possibility, and Peyton Watson requires a little bit more of a leap of faith. As a 21-year-old bench player for the Denver Nuggets, this is a bet solely on his upside and what he may look like in four years. A lot can change in that period, and Watson will probably have grown into his NBA body by that point and be a true defensive wrecking ball. 

Standing at six-foot-eight with a seven-foot wingspan, “Swatson” is already a high-level defender who has the body type and motor to be an All-NBA caliber defender. His mixture of speed, length, and athleticism allows him to play at shooting guard, small forward, or small-ball power forward.

He would provide Team USA versatility, perimeter defense, and rim protection all at the same time. His perimeter shooting, like Gordon’s, is a cause for concern. However, Watson is just entering his third NBA season and may be due for a breakout year.

It’s impossible to predict how his shot will improve and how much his overall skills will improve through the next four years, but he has an intriguing upside, to say the least. In 2020, no one in the world would have expected that the San Antonio Spurs’ backup shooting guard, Derrick White, would be on Team USA in 2024. Perhaps these upcoming four years can treat Watson as well as they did White.

Gordon and Watson are both from California, which would make receiving a coveted spot on Team USA that more special since the 2028 Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles. Only time will tell if any of the three Nuggets players will get a shot at a gold medal four years from now!