Lakers, Bulls, Nets Among Potential Offseason Suitors For Peyton Watson
The Lakers, Bulls, and Nets are viewed as potential suitors who will have the spending flexibility to make a competitive play for Nuggets restricted free agent Peyton Watson this offseason, league sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
While Fischer’s reporting makes it sound as if Brooklyn may be included in that group is a result of informed speculation rather than confirmed interest, he says the Lakers and Bulls both expressed trade interest in Watson prior to February’s deadline.
All three teams could have have significant cap room available this summer, and Watson figures to be a popular target after enjoying a breakout season in which he averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 blocks in 29.6 minutes per game on .491/.411/.730 shooting.
It’s safe to assume the Lakers will be in the market for an impact two-way wing this offseason, and the Nets are expected to try to be more competitive after losing 62 games in 2025/26, since they don’t control their own first-round pick in 2027. The Bulls’ intentions are less clear, especially since they’re currently in the midst of overhauling their front office, but no club has more projected cap space than Chicago.
Conversely, the Nuggets already have more than $203MM in guaranteed money on their 2026/27 books for just eight players, so re-signing Watson to a market-value contract would likely push their team salary well into second-apron territory unless they cut costs elsewhere.
Still, Watson won’t be unrestricted, and it has become increasingly rare in recent years for top restricted free agents to sign offer sheets or change teams. The Nuggets should have the upper hand in negotiations, with no cap rules preventing them from matching any offer from a rival team as long as they’re willing to pay the associated tax penalties.
Although the hamstring issues that have limited Watson to just five total appearances since February 4 shouldn’t have a real impact on his value in free agency, they’ve certainly been discouraging for the Nuggets, who could use the 23-year-old in their rotation as they attempt to complete a comeback from down 3-1 in the first round vs. Minnesota. Denver hasn’t offered any formal updates on Watson’s status for the rest of the series, but Fischer hears from sources that he has always been considered likely to miss the entire first round.
Northwest Notes: Jones, McDaniels, Blazers, Jazz
After he made just 15-of-48 shots (31.3%) during the Nuggets‘ two losses in Minnesota, Nikola Jokic submitted a more characteristic performance in Game 5 on Monday, racking up a triple-double (27 points, 16 assists, 12 rebounds) while knocking down 9-of-15 field goal attempts.
Perhaps even more importantly, Denver’s supporting cast stepped up in a major way. Jamal Murray scored 24 points, Cameron Johnson had 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting, and – in his second career playoff start – Spencer Jones added 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting to go along with three blocks and three steals.
As Jason Quick of The Athletic and Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required) detail, Jones began the season on a two-way contract but showed as early as the preseason that he deserved a longer look after playing sparingly as a rookie in 2024/25. Jones ended up starting 37 games and averaging 22.1 minutes per night, and he has emerged as a crucial part of Denver’s lineup in these playoffs with Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson sidelined.
As good as Jones was offensively on Monday, head coach David Adelman wanted to talk after the game about the forward’s defense. Adelman first considered a rotation role for Jones last fall based on the way he guarded Brandon Ingram in a preseason game, and his defensive effort was on display again in Game 5 as he took on the Julius Randle assignment.
“He just competes, man,” Adelman said of Jones, who will be a restricted free agent this offseason. “Randle’s an All-Star. Randle’s a load. And nobody in this room would want to be near Randle in their lives. And (Jones) just stands there and takes the hits.
“I thought he was really good outside of one time (at) not fouling him, either, where he made him take tough contested shots. A couple times, (Randle) got to his right shoulder and he laid the ball in with his left hand. But that’s why he gets paid a ton of money, because he’s a really special player. But the stuff early, he pushed him out. That’s the thing with Randle. If you concede space, just go home. I think Spence did a good job of competing for the spot.”
Here are a few more items of interest from around the Northwest:
- Since calling out Denver’s defense after the Timberwolves‘ Game 2 win, Jaden McDaniels has embraced the villain role and was willing to add more fuel to the fire following Minnesota’s loss on Monday, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “I love this environment, everyone hating me, all the hate’s coming toward me,” McDaniels said of being booed by the Denver faithful. “I love it. I don’t care. I feed into it. It just brings the best out of me. We just ended up losing today, but we’re going to win the next one.”
- As Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report notes (via Twitter), the Trail Blazers‘ two-way players have made the trip to San Antonio for Game 5 on Tuesday. Players on two-way contracts aren’t eligible to play in the postseason, but Portland was the only team not to bring its two-way players on the road during the first two games of a first-round series, with new owner Tom Dundon looking to reduce spending.
- After finishing either 29th or 30th in defensive rating in each of the past three seasons, the Jazz expect former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. to help on that end of the court in 2025/26. Still, they know they’ll need to do more this offseason to fix one of the league’s worst defenses, according to Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. “Defense is going to be a team-wide goal for us this summer,” president of basketball operations Austin Ainge said. “Every guy’s been told that we’re making a big leap next year defensively. No discussion. It’s going to happen.” Head coach Will Hardy singled out Ace Bailey and Keyonte George as two players he wants to see more from on defense.
Injury Notes: Wagner, Edwards, Nuggets, Embiid
Magic forward Franz Wagner exited Monday’s game vs. Detroit in the third quarter due to what the team referred to as right calf soreness. Speaking after the game to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel and Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter links), Wagner explained that he felt his calf tighten up about a minute before he was substituted out of the game. The plan is for the 24-year-old to undergo an MRI on his calf on Tuesday, but he’s optimistic about suiting up in Game 5.
“Hopefully it’ll be better (Tuesday),” Wagner told Beede. “The guys got it done, so that’s all that matters.”
With Wagner sidelined, the Magic put the clamps on the Pistons’ offense down the stretch in Game 4, holding Detroit to 36 second-half points to secure a 94-88 win and a 3-1 lead in the series. The series is headed back to Detroit for Game 5 with the 60-win Pistons needing three straight victories to keep their postseason run alive.
We have a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:
- Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch expressed confidence during a Sunday appearance on KFAN FM 100.3 in Minnesota that Anthony Edwards will be able to return to action this spring if the team can win one more game vs. Denver without him. “We do know that if we keep extending this playoff (run), he is going to come back,” Finch said (Twitter link via Charlie Walton of Zone Coverage). “And he generally comes back ahead of the timeline.” The Wolves have officially designated Edwards as “week to week” in his recovery from a hyperextended knee and bone bruise.
- Following the Nuggets‘ Game 5 win on Monday, head coach David Adelman said he has “no idea” whether Aaron Gordon (calf) or Peyton Watson (hamstring) will be back for Game 6, tweets Anthony Slater of ESPN. Denver will have an extra day of rest before Thursday’s game, but Adelman added that he’ll prepare for that do-or-die contest in Minnesota as if neither forward will be available.
- Star center Joel Embiid had 26 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists in his return on Sunday following an appendectomy, but it wasn’t nearly enough for the Sixers, who were outscored by 25 points in his 34 minutes of action and lost Game 4 by 32. Embiid, who is listed as probable to play in Game 5 on Tuesday, spoke after his return about his recovery process, suggesting there were some “complications” related to his emergency surgery. Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice has the story.
Anthony Edwards Considered ‘Week To Week’ After MRI
Anthony Edwards‘ left knee injury is considered a week-to-week issue, according to a press release from the Timberwolves (Twitter link via Chris Hine of The Star Tribune). An MRI conducted at the Mayo Clinic revealed a left knee hyperextension injury and bone bruise.
The team’s announcement represents confirmation of an ESPN report that stated Edwards would be sidelined multiple weeks. Minnesota leads its first-round series against the Nuggets, 3-1.
The Timberwolves’ superstar guard sustained the injury late in the second quarter of Game 4 (Twitter video link via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype). Edwards jumped to contest a layup by Cameron Johnson, and Johnson’s forward momentum caused Edwards to move backward in the air. Edwards landed awkwardly and his left knee buckled. He immediately grabbed at his knee on the ground.
Edwards entered the playoffs dealing with a nagging right knee injury, which caused him to miss extended time at the end of the regular season. He averaged 18.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 blocks through four playoff games, but struggled with efficiency, posting a shooting slash line of .358/.258/.857.
Minnesota’s other starting guard, Donte DiVincenzo, suffered a torn right Achilles tendon early in the first quarter of Saturday’s win. Without DiVincenzo and Edwards, the Timberwolves will have to rely on breakout star Ayo Dosunmu along with Mike Conley, Bones Hyland and Terrence Shannon Jr. for the remainder of its first-round series vs. Denver.
If the Wolves advance, Edwards figures to push hard to try to return at some point in the second round, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Northwest Notes: Dosunmu, Jokic, Blazers, Jazz
When the Timberwolves traded for Ayo Dosunmu, his upcoming free agency was a lingering question, given how expensive Minnesota’s roster already is. Dosunmu’s playoff performance so far, highlighted by his 43-point outing in the team’s Game 4 victory on Saturday, is only making that conversation more interesting, Joe Cowley writes for the Chicago Sun-Times.
Dosunmu said he recently spoke with recently dismissed Bulls executive Arturas Karnisovas and gained closure regarding the trade that sent him to Minnesota. With the Wolves facing a cap crunch, Cowley wonders whether Dosunmu might be interested in a reunion with Chicago. While the guard didn’t close the door on that possibility, he indicated that he’s appreciating the opportunity to compete in the playoffs with his new team and will prioritize Minnesota in free agency.
“Everything is on the table when you’re a free agent,” Dosunmu said. “That’s the main thing about being a free agent — you listen. You have conversations with whoever is interested. I’ll sit down with my family, and you have those conversations about where the next duration of my career will be, but Minnesota has shown me love here. I love the love I’ve been getting from the coaching staff, the fans, the players. So of course Minnesota will have the first dibs to do right and make me feel at home where I won’t even have to go out and entertain (other offers).”
While Saturday’s victory was marred by the emotions of the Wolves losing both Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles tear) and Anthony Edwards (knee hyperextension), Dosunmu’s heroics gave the team the lift it needed to take a commanding series lead, Marcus Thompson II writes for The Athletic.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- The Nuggets know they’ve dug themselves into a hole by going down 3-1 to Minnesota, but star Nikola Jokic is counting on the team’s extensive playoff experience to help them right the ship, Vinny Benedetto writes for the Denver Gazette. “We’ve been in this situation before. The most important one is the next one,” Jokic said. “We’re going to go home and (then) try to get the series back here.” The Nuggets have come back from a 3-1 deficit multiple times during Jokic’s time with the franchise, the first being against Rudy Gobert‘s Jazz back in the bubble in 2020.
- The Trail Blazers have worked hard to return to playoff relevance, and injured star Damian Lillard says the team is closer to taking the next step than people may think, Bill Oram writes for Oregon Live. “It’s all there,” Lillard said. “From the talent to the depth, to having it on both sides of the ball. It’s all there.” While speculation abounds as to whether the three-point champion could return during this postseason run, the front office is also reportedly setting its sights high this offseason, as it is prepared to put a compelling trade offer together for Giannis Antetokounmpo if the two-time MVP indicates he’d be willing to sign an extension in Portland, Oram reports. That is a large “if,” though, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports says, calling the idea of Antetokounmpo making such a promise highly unlikely, if only for the gauntlet he would have to face in the Western Conference playoffs for years to come.
- While the 2026 playoffs rage on, the Jazz are more focused on the draft lottery coming up on May 10. However, there are still reasons for them to pay attention to the postseason, one of which is the draft compensation the Cavaliers still owe them due to the Donovan Mitchell trade, The Deseret News’ Sarah Todd writes. The Cavs are currently tied 2-2 with the Raptors in the first round, with Mitchell eligible for an extension this offseason. While the star guard recently reiterated his desire to stay in Cleveland, a disappointing playoff exit could have ripple effects that impact the Jazz’s future draft assets.
Nikola Jokic, Julius Randle Fined For Game 4 Altercation
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been fined $50K and Timberwolves forward Julius Randle has been fined $35K following an altercation that occurred in the final seconds of the Wolves’ Game 4 victory on Saturday, the NBA announced (via Twitter).
As the game wound down with the Wolves’ victory firmly decided, Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels finished a fast-break dunk, which Jokic took exception to. The Nuggets’ star grabbed and shoved McDaniels, earning the more significant fine from the NBA due to the fact that he instigated the incident.
Randle’s penalty as a result of his response, according to the press release, which states that he “escalated the incident by forcefully inserting himself into the scrum and shoving Nuggets guard/forward Bruce Brown.”
Both players were ejected from the game, though – as ESPN’s Anthony Slater notes (via Twitter) – neither was issued a suspension.
NBA Reviewing Nuggets-Wolves Altercation At End Of Game 4
After struggling in Game 3 — he shot just 7-of-26 from the field in the loss — Nuggets center Nikola Jokic praised Minnesota’s defense and acknowledged he needed to score much more efficiently ahead of Game 4, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.
Jokic didn’t find much more success in Game 4, however, scoring an inefficient 24 points and failing to convert any of his six field goal attempts in the fourth quarter, per Anthony Slater of ESPN. The three-time MVP’s frustration boiled over in the closing seconds of Saturday’s 16-point loss, when he was ejected for angrily confronting Jaden McDaniels, who decided to make an open layup rather than run out the clock (Twitter video link via ESPN).
“I don’t regret it,” Jokic said of the incident after the game. “Because he scored after everybody stopped playing.”
Timberwolves forward Julius Randle was also ejected as part of the incident, which occurred in front of Minnesota’s bench, Slater notes. The league is actively reviewing the altercation to determine if additional penalties are warranted, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (via Twitter).
As Slater writes, McDaniels has been an antagonist in the series, calling a number of Nuggets poor individual defenders after the Wolves pulled out a comeback win in Game 2.
“I don’t know,” McDaniels said when asked if he was in the Nuggets’ heads. “I said what I said, and I just come hoop every night.”
The Nuggets were up four at halftime on Saturday and were thoroughly outplayed in the second half by a Wolves team missing its starting backcourt — Donte DiVincenzo tore his right Achilles in the first quarter, while Anthony Edwards hyperextended his knee in the second period.
Jokic is averaging 25.0 points, 14.5 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 1.5 steals in 39.0 minutes per game in the series, but he’s also committing 4.0 turnovers and his shooting line is just .391/.185/1.000. The Serbian big man called his performance in the series “average,” then later credited Rudy Gobert‘s outstanding defense, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic.
“It’s a little bit of everything. You know, I’m not shooting the ball really well, especially from the three, and you know, Rudy is doing a good job with being physical, testing the officials, contesting shots,” Jokic said. “You know, he’s a really good defender. And not just him, they play very good … they’re big, long, tall, handsy, trippy, they’re bumping you, so… I think I answered (your question).”
Here’s more on the Nuggets, who are in a 3-1 hole ahead of Monday’s Game 5:
- Although Aaron Gordon was able to play 23 minutes on Saturday, he was clearly limited physically and head coach David Adelman suggested after the game the veteran forward might not be active for Game 5, tweets Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette. “It was unfair for me to keep him out there,” Adelman said. “I felt like he was really laboring in the first half. … We’re going to have to decide what we do for Game 5.” Gordon, who was one of the players who appeared to leave the bench during the fracas, missed Game 3 due to a left calf injury.
- Both Gordon and Christian Braun said after Game 4 that the Nuggets were still frustrated after blowing a 19-point lead in Game 2, when they had a chance to go up 2-0, according to Quick. “It’s incredibly frustrating, just dwelling on Game 2,” Gordon said. “You know, not taking care of home court. So that’s the hard part about trying to let go, um, and focus on the next game, but knowing that we’ve let opportunities slip.”
- “Just an embarrassing first four games of the series,” Braun said (Twitter link via Durando). “We’ve just gotta show up in Game 5 and play well in front of our crowd. We owe that to them. We owe that to them to show up and play well.”
Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon Cleared To Play In Game 4
The Nuggets will have Aaron Gordon back in the lineup for Saturday’s Game 4 as they try to even their series with Minnesota, the team announced (via Twitter).
Gordon had been listed as questionable after sitting out Game 3 with left calf tightness. He was able to participate in a walkthrough at Friday’s practice, and the decision was eventually made to permit him to play.
“We’ll try to use him the way we would’ve used him anyway,” coach David Adelman said (Twitter link from Bennett Durando of The Denver Post). “I think that’s how you have to attack this: If he’s available, he’s available. But with the idea that the communication throughout the game is important.”
Gordon was a major contributor as Denver won the series opener, finishing with 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes while shooting 5-of-10 from the field. He had eight points, seven rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes in the Game 2 loss.
Gordon provides another big body to help match up with Minnesota’s front line, and his versatility on offense and defense has been an important part of the Nuggets’ success. His presence in Game 4 is especially important as backup forward Peyton Watson remains sidelined with a strained right hamstring.
Gordon battled injuries throughout the season and was only available for 36 games. He averaged 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 27.9 minutes per night while shooting 49.7% from the field and 38.9% from three-point range.
Injury Notes: Durant, Reaves, Embiid, Edwards, Gordon
Kevin Durant will miss Game 3 for the Rockets on Friday due to a left ankle sprain, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (via Twitter). Durant had previously been listed as questionable after suiting up for Game 2’s loss. He missed Game 1 due to an unrelated knee injury.
Before the announcement of Durant’s status, head coach Ime Udoka said that if Durant couldn’t play, Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason would fill out the starting five alongside Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, and Jabari Smith Jr., per Yahoo’s Kelly Iko (Twitter link). Sharania notes (via Twitter) that this would be the second-youngest starting lineup in playoff history.
According to The Athletic’s Will Guillory (via Twitter), Udoka said the team is looking at using more small-ball units in Game 3, which could mean that Dorian Finney-Smith sees his first action of the postseason.
On the Lakers’ side of the injury report, guard Austin Reaves has been ruled out as well, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). Head coach JJ Redick told reporters during his pregame media session that Reaves would go through warm-ups at 5:45 pm local time and that the team would make a decision on his availability at that point (Twitter link via McMenamin).
Reaves, who has been sidelined since April 2 with an oblique injury, has been doing full-contact five-on-five work, Redick said (Twitter link via Dan Woike of The Athletic). It sounds like he’ll have a decent chance to play in Game 4.
We have more injury notes from around the league:
- Joel Embiid is out for the Sixers in Game 3 against the Celtics on Friday, Tim Bontemps writes for ESPN. The star center, who underwent an emergency appendectomy earlier this month, had previously been upgraded to doubtful, but isn’t yet cleared to return. “He’s just not ready,” coach Nick Nurse said pregame. “He’s lifted some, he’s got on court a bit, but we’re still at two weeks and a day, I think. So we’re just not ready yet.”
- Anthony Edwards is not on the injury report for the Timberwolves‘ Game 4 on Saturday, the team announced (via Twitter). He had previously been listed as questionable for each of the first three games of the series due to a knee ailment. “I think it’s definitely still something that we’re managing and he’s managing but all signs are pointing that it is getting better,” coach Chris Finch said when asked about the injury.
- The Nuggets are in must-win territory as they go into Game 4 down 2-1, but they still lack clarity on Aaron Gordon‘s status. According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater (Twitter link), the versatile forward is listed as questionable after doing a walk-through at practice and icing his calf. Gordon missed Game 3 due to calf tightness. Another injured Nuggets wing, Peyton Watson, remains out for Game 4 due to his hamstring strain, Slater adds.
Northwest Notes: Jokic, McDaniels, Wolves, Lillard
The 27 points and 15 rebounds that Nikola Jokic recorded on Thursday essentially matched – or exceeded – the averages he posted during the regular season, but it was a forgettable Game 3 for the Nuggets star, writes Anthony Slater of ESPN. Denver was outscored by 21 points during Jokic’s 35 minutes of action and he made just 7-of-26 shots from the floor as the team fell behind Minnesota 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.
“I’ve never seen him shoot what he shot today,” Nuggets guard Jamal Murray said. “That’s an outlier type of game.”
The Nuggets will need more from Jokic to get past a tough first-round opponent, especially since the availability of a pair of key role players remains an open question heading into Game 4. Aaron Gordon (calf soreness) sat out Game 3, while Peyton Watson (hamstring strain) has yet to play at all since the postseason began.
As Slater relays, head coach David Adelman told reporters after Thursday’s loss that he and his coaching staff had to prepare two separate game plans for Game 3, since it wasn’t clear until close to tip-off whether or not Gordon would be able to play. Adelman is hoping to get clarity earlier on the status of Gordon and Watson ahead of Saturday’s Game 4.
“I do think out of fairness to the team we do want to know who is going to play that next game,” Adelman said. “It just helps you because guys know the expectation of what’s going to be that night, as opposed to today when we were scrambling a bit.”
We have more from around the Northwest, including a couple items on Denver’s opponent:
- After making headlines by dubbing Denver’s entire team “bad defenders” after Game 2, Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels backed up his trash talk with a huge Game 3, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. McDaniels scored 20 points, pulled down 10 rebounds, and played smothering defense on Nuggets star Murray. “Jaden is one our intense and most ornery competitors,” head coach Chris Finch said. “I didn’t have any worry that he wasn’t going to come out and try his darnedest to back up whatever was said.”
- In a separate story for The Athletic, Krawczynski explores the role that Timberwolves assistant James White plays in Minnesota and the impact that he has had on McDaniels and Donte DiVincenzo, who both credit White with helping them have big seasons. “To have somebody like that in your corner that I can call anytime of the day to pick his brain on life stuff, basketball stuff, whatever or just shoot the s— with him,” DiVincenzo said of White. “That’s the stuff that we need. When things are hard, you have certain people you can lean on, and he’s definitely one of them.”
- When Damian Lillard decided to sign with the Trail Blazers last summer, the sense was that the veteran guard was prioritizing familiarity over the chance to contend, but the Blazers are showing he was right to believe in the roster, writes Bill Oram of The Oregonian (subscription required). Exploring whether there’s any chance Lillard could play in the postseason, Oram cites a source who says the 35-year-old is “close” to being cleared following his Achilles recovery but that a potential return wouldn’t happen until a later round or “deep, deep” into the Spurs series. “I wouldn’t rule anything out or get too excited about anything,” a source told Oram.