NBA rumors: What Nuggets are telling trade suitors for breakout star

The Denver Nuggets have managed to stay afloat in the multi-week absence of superstar Nikola Jokic, currently sitting at 29-13 ahead of Sunday night’s game against the Charlotte Hornets. One of the big reasons why Denver hasn’t collapsed has been the play of Peyton Watson, the young wing who has emerged as a legitimate offensive weapon after having long been known as a defense-first player.

The Nuggets’ propensity to let key players walk in free agency has caused some teams to wonder if they might be open to trading Watson this year so that they don’t have to pay him in restricted free agency this summer, but recently, Michael Scotto of Hoopshype provided a report that shot down this speculation.

“Watson has drawn significant interest on the trade market, but the Nuggets have rebuffed trade calls on the 23-year-old swingman and want to re-sign him in restricted free agency this summer, league sources told HoopsHype,” reported Scotto.

Overall, Watson has significantly improved his outside jumper this year, as well as his ability to put the ball on the floor and create his own offense, which has helped the Nuggets initiate good looks over the last few weeks since Jokic has been off the floor due to a knee injury.

This has all occurred while his defense remains elite at the other end of the floor, making Watson the exact type of two-way wing that every team seems to be looking for in the current NBA landscape.

It remains to be seen how Watson will readjust his game once Jokic is back on the floor, but after letting Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walk in consecutive offseasons following their 2023 championship, it seems that the Nuggets ownership is finally ready to open up their wallets once the summer of 2026 hits.

The Nuggets and Hornets are slated to tip off on Sunday at 8:00 pm ET.

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