There aren't many big fish left in free agency. It's August, after all. The biggest, most anticipated names are usually the first to go.
While Denver's Peyton Watson wasn't among the best of the class, he wasn't far off after what many would describe as a true breakout season. When there's a high likelihood that a breakout player breaks out again the year after, they'll always have many interested suitors. And rightfully so.
Being a restricted free agent, however, complicates things. Surviving this late into the period does, as well. Regardless, the Atlanta Hawks remain interested, and talks could very well heat up soon as it's almost too quiet in the NBA world right now.
Hawks must present a compelling offer to both Watson and Denver
If anyone knows just how complicated getting a sign-and-trade done this late into the summer is, it's the Atlanta Hawks.
They have a saga of their own - involving 23-year-old forward Jonathan Kuminga - that appears even less likely to find a resolution anytime soon.
When there's less available suitors, teams who held the player previously begin to lose leverage. More often than not, they don't want to just let the player walk for nothing. It doesn't seem like either Watson or Kuminga will land elsewhere without it being done via sign-and-trade. They want too much.
ESPN's Dave McMenamin mentioned Atlanta, as well as three other teams - the Clippers, Bucks and Cavaliers - as "serious candidates" to land Watson.
Conveniently, the Cavaliers are also one of the organizations most-linked to Kuminga. It's clear they badly need an improvement at forward. Both candidates would fit in seamlessly.
When a team has a clear weakness they want to fix, they get aggressive. Atlanta is in less need of a frontcourt adjustment after a series of offseason moves. It'll be difficult to outbid the other suitors - especially Cleveland - but if they do, Watson will be a perfect fit into what the Hawks are building.
Watson could be Atlanta's missing piece to contention
Now, still one of the youngest teams in the league, the Hawks' youth could be what limits their chances at a deep postseason run, but sometimes talent is able to outweigh it.
Locking in a 6'8" timeline-matching two-way forward for the long-run would be an investment worth taking, regardless of the price.
With the way Atlanta develops young weapons, too, if Watson wants to follow up his breakout season with another, he'll be heavily incentivized to land with the franchise that recently produced back-to-back Most Improved Players.
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