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Peyton Watson Could Take Qualifying Offer
Denver Nuggets restricted free-agent forward Peyton Watson is prepared to accept his one-year, $6.5 million qualifying offer if Denver cannot complete a sign-and-trade, according to Evan Sidery, citing Shams Charania. Sidery adds that the Bucks, Cavaliers, and Clippers are in active talks with Denver. The Nuggets have reportedly offered Watson a five-year, $70 million deal, but the 23-year-old remains unsigned after a breakout season in which he averaged career highs of 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 41.1 percent from three. A move to Milwaukee could give him a cleaner path to usage, while a return to Denver would keep him fighting for touches around Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon. Watson has fantasy appeal, but his ceiling depends on where this standoff ends.
Source: Evan Sidery
Source: Evan Sidery
Nuggets Offer Peyton Watson $70 Million Deal
Restricted free-agent forward Peyton Watson has received a five-year, $70 million offer from the Denver Nuggets, per Tony Jones of The Athletic. The offer sits well below Watson's preferred range, as the 23-year-old has been looking to top Christian Braun's five-year, $125 million deal. Watson is also weighing whether to accept his $6.5 million qualifying offer and reach unrestricted free agency in 2027. He is coming off a breakout season, averaging 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.1 blocks while shooting 41.1 percent from three. Denver wants to keep him, but the Spencer Jones match pushed the team into the second apron. If Watson stays, he remains an ascending nine-category wing with strong dynasty appeal.
Source: Tony Jones
Source: Tony Jones
Peyton Watson Linked to Three-Team Market
Restricted free-agent forward Peyton Watson has been linked to the Bucks, Clippers, and Hawks in sign-and-trade scenarios, per Shams Charania of ESPN, via Evan Sidery. Watson, 23, is coming off a breakout season, posting career highs of 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 41.1 percent from three and adding 0.9 steals and 1.1 blocks. Denver wants to keep the two-way wing but faces a cap crunch after the Spencer Jones match raised its league-high payroll. For fantasy, Watson is an ascending nine-category asset on his threes, steals, and blocks, and a sign-and-trade to a team needing offense could lift his usage. He is a strong dynasty buy wherever he lands.
Source: Evan Sidery
Source: Evan Sidery
Nuggets Match Offer Sheet to Retain Spencer Jones
The Denver Nuggets have matched Oklahoma City's two-year, $12 million offer sheet on forward Spencer Jones, keeping the restricted free agent, per Shams Charania of ESPN. Denver prioritized retaining the homegrown wing it signed as an undrafted rookie in 2024, even though the match carries a steep tax and apron cost. Jones carved out a rotation role last season, starting 37 games and shooting 39.6 percent from three, then shot an NBA-best 69.2 percent from deep in a small playoff sample. Back in Denver in a modest role, he stays a 3-and-D wing with deep league appeal for his shooting, but his low scoring volume caps his standard league value.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Spencer Jones Lands Thunder Offer Sheet
Denver Nuggets restricted free-agent forward Spencer Jones has agreed to a two-year, $12 million offer sheet with the Oklahoma City Thunder, per Shams Charania of ESPN. Denver has until Sunday to match the fully guaranteed deal. Jones, a 6-7 3-and-D wing, was pressed into a bigger role by injuries last season, starting 37 of 64 games and averaging 5.5 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 39.6 percent from three. He torched the playoffs at an NBA-best 69.2 percent from deep. His fantasy value stays thin either way: a deep-league three-point specialist in Denver and likely buried down a crowded Thunder rotation if he leaves. Monitor whether the Nuggets match.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Nuggets Rebuff Salary-Dump Offers for Cameron Johnson
Denver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson appears likely to stay put, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The Nuggets have rebuffed salary-dump inquiries on Johnson, who is owed $23.06 million in the final year of his deal. Even under second-apron pressure, Denver was pleased enough with his production to hold him. Johnson posted career-high efficiency in his first Nuggets season, shooting 48.0 percent from the field and 43.0 percent from three while averaging 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists across 54 games, a knee bone bruise costing him over a month. The fantasy read is steady but modest: playing off Nikola Jokic lifts his percentages but caps his volume, making him an efficient deeper-league wing rather than a standard-league must-draft. A late surge to 15.2 points a night hints at more if his usage climbs.
Source: Michael Scotto
Source: Michael Scotto
Bucks Interested in Sign-and-Trade Involving Peyton Watson
The Milwaukee Bucks are still actively looking to make moves this offseason. According to Evan Sidery, Milwaukee is seriously interested in doing a sign-and-trade involving forward Peyton Watson. The Denver Nuggets have stated that they're confident they'll retain Watson, who is currently a restricted free agent. That could be difficult for Denver with them already having Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon locked into expensive contracts. If Watson joins the Bucks, he'd be competing for minutes with Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kyle Kuzma. A move to the rebuilding Bucks might be better for his overall fantasy value, but we'll see how it shakes out this offseason.
Source: Evan Sidery
Source: Evan Sidery
Alpha Diallo Joins Nuggets on One-Year Minimum Deal
The Denver Nuggets have agreed to a one-year, $1.4 million guaranteed deal with EuroLeague Defender of the Year Alpha Diallo, ESPN's Shams Charania reports. The 29-year-old spent five seasons with AS Monaco, averaging 11.9 points and 4.4 rebounds while leading the EuroLeague in steals last season on 50.1 percent shooting. A 6-foot-7 wing who defends multiple positions but never became a reliable outside threat, Diallo projects as a bench stopper rather than a rotation lock in Denver. He lands behind Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson, and Julian Strawther, with Peyton Watson's restricted free agency still unresolved. There's no fantasy angle here yet. Diallo stays off NBA boards until he carves out real minutes next to Nikola Jokic.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Peyton Watson Drawing Interest from Clippers
Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson is receiving interest from the Los Angeles Clippers, according to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. The Nuggets can match any offer sheet for the restricted free agent and reportedly want to keep him, though a sign-and-trade remains possible. Watson broke out last season with 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, and his defensive profile gives him a cleaner fantasy path than most low-usage wings. A Clippers move could help if it brings starter-level minutes, but the roster still has Brandon Ingram, Bennedict Mathurin, Rui Hachimura, and Jordan Miller in the wing mix.
Source: Ohm Youngmisuk
Source: Ohm Youngmisuk
Nuggets Plan to Match Offer Sheet on Peyton Watson
The Denver Nuggets are reportedly committed to matching any offer sheets that forward Peyton Watson receives in free agency. Watson is currently a restricted free agent who is rumored to be looking for a deal that is over $20 million per season. The Nuggets will match any offer that Watson gets, but they are also open to sign-and-trade scenarios. Watson is coming off a career-year with the Nuggets and is hopeful to cash in during free agency. This past season, Watson averaged a career-high 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists across 29.6 minutes per game in 54 contests. The 23-year-old should be able to lock up a long-term deal after his performance this past season.
Source: Sam Amick
Source: Sam Amick
Bryce Hopkins Selected by Nuggets With No. 49 Pick
The Denver Nuggets selected St. John's forward Bryce Hopkins with the No. 49 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The 24-year-old rebuilt his stock in his lone season with the Red Storm, averaging 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.1 steals in 28.8 minutes while shooting 46.9 percent from the field, 36.3 percent from deep, and 71.3 percent at the line. His fantasy path is not wide in Denver, where Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon headline the frontcourt, but Hopkins has enough rebounding, cutting, and improved shooting to compete for bench forward minutes if he carries over his late-season momentum.
Source: Brett Siegel
Source: Brett Siegel
