Nuggets Expect Peyton Watson to Return From Injury Very Soon

The Denver Nuggets' health continues to turn around in the right direction, as Peyton Watson (hamstring) appears to be the next man up to return to the rotation by the end of the upcoming weekend.

Nuggets head coach David Adelman was asked the day before facing the Philadelphia 76ers about what Watson's current return window looks like, and while he didn't give an exact date or game for when he could be back, he does intend to see him back in the mix by the end of the weekend.

"I would say, hopefully within the week," Adelman said of Watson's return, via DNVR. "That was the hope a couple of weeks ago. It's all about how he feels, and how the medical guys feel like he's responding to the stress he puts on his body, playing three-on-three, doing full on conditioning."

"It's a process. It's day-to-day... Hoping for the best from Peyton, hoping it'll be by the end of the weekend."

"Hopefully within the week." 🙏🎱

- David Adelman on Peyton Watson's return pic.twitter.com/EZkWwsppW1
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) March 16, 2026

Nuggets Expect Peyton Watson Back Within the Week

It's a major development regarding Watson's hamstring injury, that's now kept him out of the Nuggets' lineup for over a month, and thus depleted their overall depth and versatility on the wing that they had when their fourth-year breakout forward was healthy.

Watson was in the midst of a breakout season with the Nuggets before going down at the beginning of February. In the 49 games he's played, the fourth-year wing has averaged an impressive 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting 49.6% from the field and 41.7% from three.

However, since initially suffering his hamstring injury against the New York Knicks on February 4th, Watson has missed the following 16 games of the Nuggets' season, a stretch that they've gone 8-8 through, and could desperately use the explosiveness Watson brings on both ends of the floor to help steady the ship in the last month of the year.

Mar 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Peyton Watson (8) on the bench in the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

While Adelman's expectation to get Watson back "within the week" doesn't give an exact date to circle on the calendar, it does mean that the Nuggets will likely be without him for at least the next three games.

That leaves him out against vs. the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, and the Toronto Raptors on Friday. But after those three, their home matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers sitting just under a week away on Sunday could present the perfect opportunity for his return.

Watson, despite his high-end production when he was last healthy, will likely be set to come off the bench in the first few times he's back on the floor, especially as he eases back from an injury as tricky as a hamstring issue.

Cam Johnson and Aaron Gordon can fill out Denver's starting forward spots, unless either go down with an injury between now and Watson's return.

However, by Watson getting back in the mix, even if it’s first as a bench piece on a minutes restriction, it should allow him ample time to get his feet wet in Denver's rotation before the playoffs get underway, and perhaps lead to a few more wins in the regular season that can help boost their seeding in a tight Western Conference.