Peyton Watson will be a restricted free agent after the season. The Nuggets wing’s best path to a large contract next offseason could be as a three-and-D player, Bennett Durando of the Denver Post writes.
Watson has been starting with Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun sidelined. His two highest-scoring games of his career have occurred in the past week — 32 points against New Orleans and 27 against Memphis — and he has made a handful of three-pointers in each of those contests, having been particularly adept at hitting corner threes.
Here’s more on the Nuggets:
- DaRon Holmes, a 2024 first-round pick, has only appeared in two games but he was recently recalled by the NBA club. Coach David Adelman said it’s important to have roster players around their NBA teammates at times, even when they’re getting extended playing time in the G League, Durando tweets. “The guys that are down there, we have to get them back with us and then send them back,” he said. “They need to get back with the guys, keep a relationship with the coaching staff. If you leave guys down there too long, I think it’s unfair to them as a professional player. So we’ll do the best we can to rotate them through.”
- Durando interviewed Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s college and high school coaches, weaving them into the narrative that Hardaway makes for an ideal role player. Hardaway is averaging 11.1 points per game off the bench after signing a one-year, minimum-salary contract as a free agent.
- In his latest mailbag, Durando ranks the top five passes by Nikola Jokic that he’s seen. He also grades the Nuggets at the quarter mark of the season, giving them an A-minus. The only reason he didn’t give them an A is that they lost two home games to inferior opponents.
Watson, Julian, Holmes and Bruan were good picks. Pickett and Tyson were not. Calvin did draft well. He doesn’t get enough credit for that.
Random note. Haha you trade the better player and you developed him ALONG with a 1st !?!?!!!! For Cameron Johnson……… horrible trade for Denver. If silver didn’t let you win then I wouldn’t be seeing all this hype up for Jokic . The guy doesn’t even play defense. He just cheap shots you when you are not looking. At least 10 guys he has cheap shotted. Jokic is a joker really
Traded Porter and a 1st for Cameron Johnson lol. Cameron is a 6th man at best SF
Denver sent out $38.3M in salary and took back $21M.
Those $17.3M of salary relief were a big part of that deal. People who own Denver are cheap. They don’t want to overspend on the team even with Jokic. So they traded away the pick for a player on a good salary.
Zeke Nnaji, Pickett, Tyson and someone else covers that 17m you are talking about. Instead of trading Porter and a 1st just trade their junk first.
I know Denver’s ownership has been cheap after winning a title.
I’ll have to say you are wrong in saying a player on a good salary in which Cameron Johnson was given a horrible contract. Cameron is overpaid by 12m a year so no he’s not that good salary
Hey, man, I’m not the one who designed that trade. I’m just explaining Denver’s logic.
They traded a 19 ppg guy who shoots close to 40% on 3s and has some other strengths (rebounding etc.) for a 19ppg guy who shoots close to 40% on 3s and has some other strengths. But makes a lot less. This allowed them to make the roster moves they wanted, and stay below the tax.
I didn’t say I like it. Just explaining.
As for “trade their junk first”. You have to pay others to take your “junk”.
As for Cam Johnson being on a horrible contract. He was a contributing player on a competing Phoenix team, 6moy candidate and generally a productive player in this league.
Anyway, I’m not a salary expert. Maybe somebody from the writers here on hoopsrumors can chip in and say if they consider his contract “horrible”.
He scored 18 last season on a really bad team. Plus Johnson has never played 66 games in a season and that’s bad (just found that out).
Come on Porter is light years better than Johnson plus you gave a 1st, that’s a bad trade to me
I would say Cam should be paid 16m a season tops.
Cam is now a top paid guy in Denver so he needs to average more than 8ppg.
Zeke Nnaji, Pickett, Tyson and maybe a 1st to Brooklyn for a 2nd would have been a better trade.
Yes Porter was overpaid but that’s Denver’s fault
Imo trading Porter and that 1st was Denver’s only mistake this off season
Watson is looking more comfortable with the additional minutes. His 3 pt release is slow, but 40% is better than I thought he’d shoot.
Good news for the Nuggets that he’s been better than decent so far with the 2 starters sidelined.