Nuggets Keep Seeing Teams Line Up With Peyton Watson Interest

A little over two weeks into the NBA free agent market opening, we still don't have any word on an agreement for a new deal for Denver Nuggets free agent forward Peyton Watson.

But while there hasn't been an agreement on a new contract for Watson, the rumors surrounding his situation have been nonstop.

Whether it surrounds the Nuggets' interest in retaining him, Watson's aspired second contract and the value he's coveting, or even teams outside of Denver intrigued in adding him via sign-and-trade, the conversation has been wide-ranging, yet still without a clear solution now reaching mid-July.

And the longer that Watson is without that second contract, it seems like that list of teams interested in adding Watson via sign-and-trade continues to grow.

Milwaukee Bucks Among Those Showing Interest in Peyton Watson

According to NBA insider Marc Stein on The Stein Line, the Milwaukee Bucks are the latest team to join the Watson sweepstakes, along with the LA Clippers and Atlanta Hawks, who have been previously linked in recent weeks.

"The Nuggets, mind you, still have two restricted free agents of their own to hash out deals with: Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones," Stein writes. "And some fresh rumbles have been relayed to The Stein Line that the Bucks are joining the Clippers and Hawks on the list of teams trying to pry Watson away from the Nuggets via sign-and-trade."

While there has been interest stemming from the Nuggets with interest in entertaining a sign-and-trade deal for their restricted free agent forward, it's not exactly a surefire bet that Denver will want to part ways with the 23-year-old.

For one, a sign-and-trade would require a team offering a contract to Watson that's above what the Nuggets are willing to pay him, while also giving up enough assets via trade that would intrigue Denver enough to pull the trigger on a deal; both of which are easier said than done.

Mar 22, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Peyton Watson (8) smiles before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

To this point, the buzz surrounding Watson's contract ask has zeroed in on an annual value of over $25 million, which would top what the Nuggets had given Christian Braun before this past season on his five-year, $125 million extension.

But when factoring in Denver's current payroll without Watson, adding him at that price would start to make this roster pretty costly.

Between Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon, and Christian Braun, those five alone will be making over $185 million next season. Watson would take that total to well over $200 million, and put the Nuggets well over the tax and second apron lines.

So that's what makes the sign-and-trade idea one to at least put some thought into. But based on Watson's importance to the Nuggets' future, and the season he's fresh off, it's fair to assume that Denver would be hesitant to ship off their young forward for a package that isn't anything short of impressive.

Denver could be eyeing a package that looks similar to that of what the Utah Jazz just got in exchange for their own restricted free agent Walker Kessler earlier this month, which was centered around multiple first-round picks and pick swaps from the LA Lakers, but haven't seen any interested suitor willing to cough up that type of offer just yet.

So for now, the Nuggets and Watson remain in a standoff with no clear timeline for when there could be a resolution reached. It could be days, or even weeks, with the possibility of a new contract in the Mile High, or a sign-and-trade being the end result for the biggest domino left to fall in Denver's offseason.

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