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The Atlanta Hawks have been connected to Denver Nuggets restricted free agent Peyton Watson this offseason, but they have competition.
Several teams have been linked to the 23-year-old, and the Nuggets themselves are obvious threats to retain him.
To complicate matters, according to Cleveland Cavaliers insider Chris Fedor, the Cavs can be added to the list of teams who have expressed interest in Watson.
Fedor did caution that Cleveland's pathway to acquiring Watson is complex, and he also speculated that a deal for Watson would likely cost the team longtime big man Jarrett Allen in a sign-and-trade scenario.
That may prove to be a dealbreaker, as the Cavs have kept Allen at every turn over the years even though his name has come up in countless rumors.
Ironically, the Hawks, who have been connected to the Cavs this offseason amid sign-and-trade chatter for free agent Jonathan Kuminga, are fans of Allen themselves, but they shouldn't get their hopes up about landing them based on recent reporting.
Allen likely isn't untouchable -- after all, he may be Cleveland's fourth-best player -- but if the Cavs are ever going to move him, they're likely going to be very choosey about who they do it for. It's unclear if they'd do it for a player like Watson.
Watson, 23, just had a big year with the Nuggets in his fourth NBA season. 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 deep, production that helped him secure 40 starting nods in 54 appearances.
Denver's initial offers to him have been in the $16-to-18 million range per year, according to The Stein Line, even though the wing is known to be seeking over $25 million per year. If Watson doesn't get the deal he wants this offseason, he could play out the 2026-27 campaign on a qualifying offer.
Non-Denver teams interested in acquiring Watson would seemingly need to go the sign-and-trade route to do so, but the Nuggets are said to be asking for a lot in such scenarios.
According to The Athletic, Denver is trying to move a piece or two to get under the second apron again and clean enough money to keep Watson around.
Clearly, there is a lot to consider and much to sort out before Watson's future can be determined. He remains a player to watch for the Hawks, but the Cavs update doesn't help, and the other factors remain major obstacles.
Continue reading...
Several teams have been linked to the 23-year-old, and the Nuggets themselves are obvious threats to retain him.
To complicate matters, according to Cleveland Cavaliers insider Chris Fedor, the Cavs can be added to the list of teams who have expressed interest in Watson.
Fedor did caution that Cleveland's pathway to acquiring Watson is complex, and he also speculated that a deal for Watson would likely cost the team longtime big man Jarrett Allen in a sign-and-trade scenario.
That may prove to be a dealbreaker, as the Cavs have kept Allen at every turn over the years even though his name has come up in countless rumors.
Ironically, the Hawks, who have been connected to the Cavs this offseason amid sign-and-trade chatter for free agent Jonathan Kuminga, are fans of Allen themselves, but they shouldn't get their hopes up about landing them based on recent reporting.
Allen likely isn't untouchable -- after all, he may be Cleveland's fourth-best player -- but if the Cavs are ever going to move him, they're likely going to be very choosey about who they do it for. It's unclear if they'd do it for a player like Watson.
Watson, 23, just had a big year with the Nuggets in his fourth NBA season. 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 deep, production that helped him secure 40 starting nods in 54 appearances.
Denver's initial offers to him have been in the $16-to-18 million range per year, according to The Stein Line, even though the wing is known to be seeking over $25 million per year. If Watson doesn't get the deal he wants this offseason, he could play out the 2026-27 campaign on a qualifying offer.
Non-Denver teams interested in acquiring Watson would seemingly need to go the sign-and-trade route to do so, but the Nuggets are said to be asking for a lot in such scenarios.
According to The Athletic, Denver is trying to move a piece or two to get under the second apron again and clean enough money to keep Watson around.
Clearly, there is a lot to consider and much to sort out before Watson's future can be determined. He remains a player to watch for the Hawks, but the Cavs update doesn't help, and the other factors remain major obstacles.
Continue reading...
