When the Denver Nuggets decided it would be best to trade Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers rather than sign him to an extension, many thought it was the wrong decision. After all, Watson was a homegrown project who blossomed into quite a two-way star whose defense was one of the best on the team. But after just two games, Nuggets rookie second-round pick Trevon Brazile is doing his best to make everyone forget about P-Wat and put the future sustainability of the Nuggets' roster in a better place, too.
Brazile has made an immediate impact, filling the backup four spot in the rotation with Spencer Jones out of the lineup with a hamstring injury. And you could argue that the 6-foot-10 rookie is off to an ever better start than Watson is this year. Through two games, Watson is shooting just 33.3% from the field and a balmy 22.2% from beyond the arc while averaging 9.5 points per game. Watson's playing good defense, as expected, but so is Brazile.
Brazile's averaging a double-double across his first two games at 10.5 points and 10.5 rebounds, and he's shooting 41.2% from the field while knocking down threes and blocking shots on the perimeter that usually only Victor Wembanyama does. Brazile's been fun to watch and has played great, but he's also going to put the Nuggets in a better position to keep the Nuggets' core roster intact longer.
Brazile over Watson keeps the championship window open longer
The Nuggets wasted no time and signed Brazile to a four-year, $9.3 million deal not long after drafting him, $13 million cheaper than the average annual value of Watson's $22 million per year over the next four years. What a bargain! That's substantial for the Nuggets' ability to keep Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray, and Christian Braun together longer, which helps to keep the championship window open longer, too.
The Nuggets already have $189 million on the books for 2027-28 if they decline DaRon Holmes II's team option, which should be a given considering Brazile leaped in front of him already on the depth chart. They'll have seven players already under contract. Jokic, Murray, Gordon, Braun, Brazile, Zeke Nnaji, and Spencer Jones.
Imagine already having another $22 million under contract and sitting at $211 million when the luxury tax threshold is projected at almost $214 million. There's so much more cap space for the Nuggets to work with while they've got a player already performing as well as Watson. Flexibility under the first and second apron at the start of the offseason is very important, as it gives the Nuggets more options on who they can sign.
Plus, the Nuggets picked up a valuable 2031 first-round pick they can use to trade to try and improve the roster even further beyond adding just free agents next summer.
Yes, it's only two games, but I've been banging the drums about Brazile's potential since the day he was drafted. This isn't a blip on the radar. His skill set made him NBA-ready. His crazy athleticism and 7-foot-4 wingspan make him a game-changer who's going to help keep the Nuggets' championship window open longer than it would have been with Watson. And that makes the fun of watching him even that much sweeter.
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