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There is no doubt that Denver Nuggets restricted free agent Peyton Watson has a market around the NBA this offseason, and there have been plenty of indications that the market includes the Atlanta Hawks.
But according to a report from Brad Rowland of "Locked On Hawks," Watson is "at least somewhat polarizing" around the NBA with regard to how teams value him.
"Peyton Watson is at least somewhat polarizing around the league," Rowland said. "Because of the intel on the Hawks, I've been doing a lot of calls on Peyton Watson with scouts, with other teams' front office people, with all kinds of people around the league, and it's like, hey, it's not that he's -- nobody thinks he's bad, but even this week, people were intrigued by him more as an upside play in some degree that you wouldn't wanna pay a ton for necessarily. ... [Some people] just absolutely love him...because of his combination of age...his position...his skill set, what he did last year."
A recent report from ESPN listed the Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers as "serious candidates" to land Watson, with the Los Angeles Clippers also named by ESPN as an interested team. The Nuggets are also certainly interested in retaining him.
While part of Watson's appeal is his upside, he also just produced at a level in the 2025-26 season that can't really be denied. In what was his fourth year at the NBA level, he averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from beyond the arc.
It was a major leap from his first few seasons in the league. Originally the last pick of the first round in 2022, Watson is now starting to look like a player who should've gone much sooner.
But among the problems for the 23-year-old as he navigates this offseason are that he and the Nuggets have seemingly been far apart in negotiations, and other interested teams reportedly haven't been willing to meet Denver's asking price in sign-and-trade scenarios.
The situation isn't helped by the fact that the Nuggets are currently in the second apron, which further complicates sign-and-trade possibilities.
One option for Watson is to play out the 2026-27 season on his qualifying offer to lay the groundwork to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. That wouldn't be the worst outcome for the Hawks, as it would leave the door open for them to pursue him again next offseason.
But if they're hoping to land him this summer specifically, they're going to have to cross their fingers that they can overcome some of the roadblocks at play.
What's clear is that Watson would be an exciting addition to a Jalen Johnson-led Hawks core that has already added some key pieces this offseason, including lottery pick Kingston Flemings. After trading away former franchise cornerstone Trae Young last season, Atlanta is entering a new era and trying to build off the momentum of its playoff appearance last season.
Continue reading...
But according to a report from Brad Rowland of "Locked On Hawks," Watson is "at least somewhat polarizing" around the NBA with regard to how teams value him.
"Peyton Watson is at least somewhat polarizing around the league," Rowland said. "Because of the intel on the Hawks, I've been doing a lot of calls on Peyton Watson with scouts, with other teams' front office people, with all kinds of people around the league, and it's like, hey, it's not that he's -- nobody thinks he's bad, but even this week, people were intrigued by him more as an upside play in some degree that you wouldn't wanna pay a ton for necessarily. ... [Some people] just absolutely love him...because of his combination of age...his position...his skill set, what he did last year."
A recent report from ESPN listed the Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers as "serious candidates" to land Watson, with the Los Angeles Clippers also named by ESPN as an interested team. The Nuggets are also certainly interested in retaining him.
While part of Watson's appeal is his upside, he also just produced at a level in the 2025-26 season that can't really be denied. In what was his fourth year at the NBA level, he averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from beyond the arc.
It was a major leap from his first few seasons in the league. Originally the last pick of the first round in 2022, Watson is now starting to look like a player who should've gone much sooner.
But among the problems for the 23-year-old as he navigates this offseason are that he and the Nuggets have seemingly been far apart in negotiations, and other interested teams reportedly haven't been willing to meet Denver's asking price in sign-and-trade scenarios.
The situation isn't helped by the fact that the Nuggets are currently in the second apron, which further complicates sign-and-trade possibilities.
One option for Watson is to play out the 2026-27 season on his qualifying offer to lay the groundwork to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. That wouldn't be the worst outcome for the Hawks, as it would leave the door open for them to pursue him again next offseason.
But if they're hoping to land him this summer specifically, they're going to have to cross their fingers that they can overcome some of the roadblocks at play.
What's clear is that Watson would be an exciting addition to a Jalen Johnson-led Hawks core that has already added some key pieces this offseason, including lottery pick Kingston Flemings. After trading away former franchise cornerstone Trae Young last season, Atlanta is entering a new era and trying to build off the momentum of its playoff appearance last season.
Continue reading...
