"You Have to Protect Players From Themselves!" Watson Wanted to Play in Playoffs for Denver, Agent Said No

Peyton Watson faced a hamstring injury during last season's NBA playoffs, and his potential return late in the season carried significant risks.

As Rich Paul recently explained, the situation was particularly delicate because his client, then a Denver Nuggets player, was approaching a period where he needed to secure a lucrative contract.

Watson was eager to play in the playoffs, but Rich Paul insisted he remain sidelined.

"It's the playoffs, a contract is on the horizon, he had a good year, and he's thinking: 'I have to play.' It's important to protect that."

The Nuggets entered the playoffs with championship aspirations, and Watson had made significant strides during the season. In 54 games, he averaged 14.6 points and 4.9 rebounds, posting career-best numbers and taking on a much larger role within the team. Denver ultimately fell to Minnesota, with Watson watching the playoffs from the sidelines.

Stuck in a stalemate during negotiations, the Nuggets opted against extending Peyton Watson's contract. At the very least, they needed to ensure they wouldn't lose their key asset this summer without any compensation.

The Nuggets are sending Watson to Cleveland in exchange for a 2031 first-round pick and a 2032 second-round pick, two league sources confirmed to the Denver Post on Wednesday, corroborating a report from Shams Charania of ESPN. Watson has agreed to an $88 million, four-year contract with the Cavaliers as part of a multi-team sign-and-trade deal. This transaction will not be officially finalized Wednesday night as it is expanding to include other league-wide trades, according to a Nuggets team source.

Cleveland is sending Max Strus to the Clippers and Tre Mann to the Wizards, while Washington is sending Cam Whitmore to Cleveland and Julian Reese to Denver, Charania reported. Reese, who was on a two-way contract, will be waived.

Essentially, the Nuggets are not receiving any players in return, leaving them with two open roster spots and a payroll approximately $2 million above the second apron. The core of this deal for Denver is the draft pick compensation, securing a tradable first-round pick. The 2032 second-round pick acquired in this trade originally belongs to Sacramento.

By not taking on any salary in this exchange—despite their championship window being urgent with Nikola Jokic entering what could be the final year of his contract—the Nuggets have signaled their intention to avoid the astronomical luxury tax next season, and perhaps even further reduce their payroll to stay below the second apron. Retaining Watson without a subsequent trade to cut costs would have resulted in a record tax bill.

Watson became a restricted free agent on June 30 upon the expiration of his four-year rookie contract, meaning the Nuggets had the option to retain him by matching any offer he received from another team.

You can read all about Watson's trade to Cleveland in a separate news report.

Video: Jokic, Milutinov, Jovic, and Dobric Defeat Wembanyama, Then Declare: "We Showed Our Fighting Spirit!"