Is Peyton Watson leaving Nuggets? There seem to only be 2 reported options
· Yahoo Sports
Outside of what will likely be the last free agency for LeBron James, the biggest target on the (somewhat) open market might be Peyton Watson.
After a breakout campaign last season, the promising young Denver Nuggets forward is seeking a big payday. As a dynamic two-way forward who has shown three-level scoring ability, the 23-year-old Watson could be the kind of piece who completes a contending team's championship puzzle. Or, even better, he might be a building block for an ascending team trying to open a new championship window of its own.
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Unfortunately for Watson, there are certain limitations to his precise free-agency desires. At least, when it comes to this summer. You see, Watson is a restricted free agent. Even if he so chose, Watson cannot simply leave the Nuggets and take the most lucrative possible contract from an outside suitor without working through any red tape. Should another team be interested in Watson's services, they can freely offer him a deal, but the Nuggets have the breathing room to match the deal within a certain time period and keep him in Denver if they want.
It's a complicated situation for one of the NBA's brightest young players, to be sure.
Let's unpack Watson's reported options and how, exactly, his restricted free agency impacts this situation.
So, how does Watson's restricted free agency status impact his options?
Once again, all the "restricted" portion of that means is the Nuggets have the option to stay tethered to Watson as he tests the market. He and his agents can negotiate with anyone he wants. Absolutely anyone. But when push comes to shove, the moment someone shows him the term and money he is seeking, the Nuggets would have 48 hours from that point to match (meaning, give him the same term and money) and keep him in Denver. Full stop.
But wouldn't that mean a team interested in Watson would just try to work around the Nuggets?
Absolutely. That's the sticking point and tricky part of restricted free agency here. Any team that wants Watson would probably have to give him a deal way above market value, making the Nuggets too uncomfortable to retain him. Given the nature of the NBA's second apron and general salary cap rules, that is tough sledding for the overwhelming majority of the league, who may themselves feel uncomfortable with giving a talented but still unproven player like Watson much more than he's worth. Most teams, in fact, don't even have the space as it stands.
Under what circumstances might the Nuggets not match a Watson offer sheet?
Let's assume another team offers Watson wholly absurd money that the Nuggets, who are already close to the second apron, don't want to pay him. In that case, they would reportedly open themselves up to sign-and-trade scenarios, ala the recent Walker Kessler trade to the Los Angeles Lakers. It's worth noting that the Kessler trade involved two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps, so even that would be a steep price to pay ON TOP of the monster contract Watson wants.
You can see why this is such a pickle for everyone involved.
If Watson can't find a team that wants to navigate these rough waters, does he HAVE to re-sign with the Nuggets?
Technically speaking, given (gestures at everything), no one might submit a formal offer sheet for Watson.
In which case, Watson would probably have a long-term contract offer and a one-year $6.53 million qualifying offer from the Nuggets waiting for him. The qualifying offer is, quite obviously, well short of the term and money the young player wants to get this summer. However, if he doesn't take the Nuggets' long-term offer, it would be his only option. On the bright side, if Watson did end up taking the qualifying offer, he would become an unrestricted free agent next summer and be free to do what he pleases.
That, of course, would come with its own risks of playing another full season without the security of a long-term deal, but at least he'd have a light at the end of the tunnel to what I'm sure has been a very frustrating situation.
OK, all of that mess aside, has anyone shown any open interest in Watson?
At the moment, per The Athletic's Sam Amick, the Los Angeles Clippers are the only team outside of the Nuggets that has shown interest in signing Watson to a long-term contract. Only the Clippers and the Brooklyn Nets have the necessary salary cap and apron space to give Watson the money he wants, but the Nets don't have any reported interest in him, at the moment. That is it.
Well, that doesn't seem to be a long line of teams lining up for Watson, is it?
Correct. It's not hard to connect the dots here. For all intents and purposes, Watson's situation is very likely (and as expected) complicated by his restricted free-agent status. For most NBA teams, there are just too many hoops to jump through to pry Watson away from the place where he's spent the first four years of his career. We'll see whether the Clippers, or a new mystery suitor who clears up the salary cap space, finds the nerve to get Watson to their city, or whether the Nuggets keep perhaps their best young building block for the foreseeable future.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Is Peyton Watson leaving Nuggets? There seem to only be 2 reported options