Well, the cat's out of the bag. The Atlanta Hawks want Peyton Watson.
They're not alone in their interest. Not in the slightest. When a young player as promising and effective as Watson seemingly becomes available, it's clear to see why he would garner league-wide interest.
The only thing limiting teams' pursuit of him, though, is just how late in the offseason his market is heating up. Teams don't have nearly as much space as they did just weeks ago. That's the case with the Hawks, as well as his many other suitors.
They're also more limited in capital to deal, assuming if he lands outside of Denver, it'll be completed via sign-and-trade. Atlanta isn't limited in that sense, but they're focused. Not even a top free agent such as Watson could take President of Basketball Operations Onsi Saleh off course.
Hawks aren't willing to part with a first-round pick in a sign-and-trade
According to a recent intel drop from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, even though the Nuggets are set on getting a first-round pick, as well as a quality young player in return for their 23-year-old forward, the Hawks - along with many of his other suitors - are unwilling to meet their asking price.
Yikes. That's a tough situation over in Denver. Not only are they losing leverage by the day with someone who just became a vital piece to their rotation, but they're likely going to end up losing him for an underwhelming return.
It's the unpredictable modern NBA, though, so there's always a chance that a team suddenly views Watson as their missing piece just before the year begins, offering Denver a first-round pick and a young player. That, however, appears very unlikely as it currently stands.
One thing that's for sure, though, is that the team in the above hypothetical won't be the Atlanta Hawks. Their lead decision-maker stands on business.
Saleh won't now decide to part with valuable draft capital
In the future, he very well could if the right star-level player becomes available. But again, with every passing day, the Nuggets are losing leverage. They don't want to end up letting Watson walk for nothing, which is almost guaranteed to be the case next summer if they bring him back on the qualifying offer.
Atlanta is in a much more coveted position than Denver, and they won't lose that leverage anytime soon. Not for Peyton Watson.
It'll be interesting to see how this all shakes out, but if history is any indicator, optionality will emerge victorious once more.
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