Nuggets Notes: Watson, Johnson, Braun, Jokic, Jones, Brown, Strawther

After failing to come to terms on a rookie scale extension before the season began, Nuggets forward Peyton Watson will heading to restricted free agency in the 2026 offseason, assuming he’s given a qualifying offer. He’ll have new representation when that time comes, having joined Klutch Sports Group, the agency announced (via Twitter).

As Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette tweets, the Watson was previously represented Excel Sports. The 23-year-old has averaged 6.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks through 11 games (21.1 minutes per contest).

We have several more items on the Nuggets:

• A pair of starters were forced to leave Wednesday’s win over the Clippers due to injuries, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Offseason addition Cameron Johnson exited in the first quarter with a right arm strain, while Christian Braun sustained a left ankle injury in the second period. Both players were ruled out at halftime. “Obviously, whatever happened wasn’t good enough for them to come back out and play the third quarter, so that’s concerning,” head coach David Adelman said after the team’s sixth consecutive win. “But I really don’t know, and I don’t think they do either. We have a full day here (in Los Angeles) tomorrow to kind of get all that stuff sorted out, which will be good for me, too. Because if they are out, or if they’re in, we have to figure out a way to make our rotation make sense. … So I’m hoping for the best.”
• Entering Wednesday’s game, which was the second night of a back-to-back, the Nuggets were 0-4 (including the playoffs) when Nikola Jokic scored 50-plus points. After an incredibly efficient 55-point outing against the Clips — he shot 18-of-23 from the field, 5-of-6 on three-pointers, and 14-of-16 from the foul line in just 33 minutes — the three-time MVP was more focused on the result than his individual performance. “I think I scored, a couple of times, more than 50, and we lost every time. I think this is the first time I scored 50 that we won. So it’s a good feeling,” Jokic said, per Durando. The Serbian center has been on a remarkable tear during Denver’s six-game winning streak, notes Beth Harris of The Associated Press, averaging 35.8 points, 12.0 rebounds, 11.0 assists and 1.8 steals on .739/.556/.857 shooting over that span (33.3 minutes).
• Second-year forward Spencer Jones, who is on a two-way contract, has emerged as a defensive specialist for the Nuggets, according to Durando. Jones, who did an admirable job of slowing down James Harden on Wednesday, is fully aware that his playing time might be limited from game to game. “You just have to come in, guard one of the better players out there,” he said. “You don’t really know when you’re gonna come in, when you’re gonna go out, what games you’re gonna play. So it’s just always being ready.”
• Bruce Brown‘s role with the Nuggets is different than it was when he helped the team win its first title in 2023, Durando writes for The Denver Post. The veteran guard had more on-ball responsibilities last time around, and he acknowledges he’s still getting used to his new responsibilities. “Little different. I’m still getting adjusted to it,” Brown said of round two with Denver. “Obviously, when you come back to a situation where you were before, you think it’s gonna be exactly the same, but it’s not, obviously. But all I care about is winning. I’m trying to put another banner up. So I’m still getting adjusted to it. Sometimes you might see me come out of the game a little frustrated, just because I’m still getting used to it.”
• Free agent additions Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. have squeezed out younger members of the rotation, such as third-year wing Julian Strawther, who is averaging just 8.1 minutes per game after averaging 21.3 in 2024/25. Jokic has been pleased with Strawther’s effort when he’s had a chance to play, as Durando relays. “He stays ready,” Jokic said of Strawther. “He’s aggressive when he comes in the game, and that’s a good thing. He’s trying on defense. And I think that’s the mindset that he should have.”