Peyton Watson will be a free agent this year, and the Atlanta Hawks must use their newly-acquired cap space to tender a competitive offer.
Watson has one of the most fun stories in recent memory, with a developmental arc that eerily resembles Jalen Johnson’s (albeit with a lower ceiling). In his only season at UCLA, Watson was nothing more than a role player. He averaged a measly 3.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.4 fouls per night in 12.7 minutes while shooting 22.6% from three and 35.2% from two. He was far from an impactful collegiate basketball player, yet he was still drafted 30th overall.
Slowly, however, Watson improved. He saw limited playing time as a rookie on the Finals-winning Denver Nuggets, but raised his three point shooting to 42.9%. His playing time doubled the next season, and he began to show the potential to be an impactful defender. He stagnated statistically in a larger role last season, but it was still an important development. When given more opportunity, Watson remained as effective as expected.
This season, however, Watson broke out as a potential rising star. He’s averaged 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals while shooting a red-hot 40.3% from deep. While he certainly benefits from being an athletic wing alongside Nikola Jokic, Watson has proved he is more than just another role player. He is the perfect supporting player to add to your team, like a Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
Denver can’t keep Watson, Christian Braun, and Cam Johnson
The Denver Nuggets have to make a choice this offseason. They have three wings who demand a serious contract, each intriguing in their own way, but they do not have the cap space to roster all three and remain under the luxury tax. One of these players is destined to leave; the question is who.
Christian Braun was signed to a five-year, $125 million extension this past offseason, and by all accounts, the organization loves him. Also in his fourth year, Braun’s performance last year is eerily close to Watson’s this year, and theoretically, you would expect him to develop again this season. Braun, however, has fallen to a few nagging injuries this season. The Nuggets like Braun, and his shaky play this year would reduce his trade value. It seems safe to assume Braun will remain in Denver.
Cameron Johnson is another player whose history with the franchise indicates he is likely to stay. After spending three meaningless seasons in Brooklyn, Johnson was finally traded back to a winning team. He’s played well for the organization, hitting 42.9% of his threes while playing hard on defense, but he hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. More importantly, Denver traded a first round pick and Michael Porter Jr. for Johnson, a price the Nuggets surely regret paying. It seems unlikely the Nuggets will sell low on Johnson.
This leaves Watson as the odd man out. He would fit Atlanta like a glove, completing an incredible two-way guard trio with Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels. Atlanta cleared up cap space by trading Trae Young; they might as well use it on a premium role player to complement their star duo of Jalen Johnson and the player selected with the New Orleans Pelicans pick this year.