As free agency kicked off without a bang on Tuesday, all the Nuggets can do is sit back and anxiously hope that their key restricted free agents, Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones, make it through this transaction cycle without getting massive offers that steal them away from Denver.
In years past, we’ve gotten a flurry of activity announced right around the official start time of NBA free agency. But this season, as free agency officially opened on Tuesday afternoon, it was all quiet across the league. Perhaps there was some fear of tampering penalties, making teams hesitant to report deals immediately.
But as time went on and hours went by, it became clear that wasn’t the case. Instead, it seems as if players and teams are being slow and deliberate with their moves, waiting on bigger dominoes to drop before moving on to backup options.
We saw a few players re-sign with their own teams, we saw a couple of veterans and minimum guys changing hands, and we saw some role players find new homes. Ironically, three of the first players announced had ties to the Nuggets, with DeAndre Jordan staying in New Orleans, Bones Hyland staying in Minnesota, and Tim Hardaway Jr. leaving for Miami.
That one hurt a bit, but it was expected as the Heat offered the full taxpayer mid-level exception, which Denver is in no position to compete with at the moment. But all in all, Hardaway was one of the most notable deals of the night, and overall, the lack of meaningful activity is great news for the Nuggets.
The longer this drags out, the better it is for Denver
The sad reality of the situation is that the Nuggets are in a holding pattern, forced to painfully wait and sit on their hands, hoping their players don’t get poached away. Obviously, we’d love to see the Nuggets immediately re-signing their own free agents and adding impact veterans, but that was never going to happen.
They have zero spending power at the moment, and it’s the worst-kept secret in the league that they are pinching every penny to try to keep Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones. We know there will be offers for them, but the silence so far is good news, and the focus has been squarely on other marquee restricted free agents Jalen Duren and Walker Kessler. The fact that teams aren’t rushing to sign players and the market seems quiet is excellent for a team that wants just that.
The longer this drags out, the better it is for the Nuggets. Their best bet is waiting everyone out and waiting to pounce on whatever slips through the cracks, hoping that Watson and Jones are left standing as teams work on deals with other players.
It’s still early, and that’s still wishful thinking. Losing THJ is also not the start we were hoping for. But for the most part, this was a good start to free agency for a team that doesn’t want to see fireworks. A lot can change in the coming hours and days, but the longer the market stays cool, the better the chances of the Nuggets getting some business done.
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