RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesCavaliers, Hawks, Clippers, Bucks in bidding war for $11M NBA champion, 23-year-old young star originally appeared on The Sporting News .
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NBA rosters for the upcoming season are still being adjusted with free agency continuing to unfold. LeBron James' decision held up the process for several organizations and players looking for new homes, and there are still plenty of major moves left to be made.
One player searching for a potential new home is Peyton Watson, who is a restricted free agent. Watson and his camp are reportedly seeking a hefty contract as negotiations continue.
“Peyton Watson and his camp want something in that $28 million north range and the offers so far have been fluctuating between that $20-24 million per year range… When you're Peyton Watson, you want more than Christian Braun," ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel wrote.
The biggest challenge for Watson is that, as a restricted free agent, he cannot simply choose whichever team he wants. A deal has to be worked out between Watson and the Denver Nuggets , which would likely come in the form of a sign-and-trade. However, with Denver in a difficult financial situation, there has been discussion about Watson potentially accepting his qualifying offer instead.
“The top restricted free agents — Jalen Duren, Peyton Watson and Bennedict Mathurin — are now all considering taking their qualifying offers to become unrestricted in 2027. As negotiations stall out across the board, these three could become trendsetters against the RFA process,” NBA reporter Evan Sidery posted.
Denver does not want to lose Watson, but the organization's financial situation could ultimately force its hand. Teams such as the Atlanta Hawks , Cleveland Cavaliers , Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers have all expressed interest in getting a deal done for the young wing.
“That is why teams like the LA Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Atlanta Hawks have all expressed sign-and-trade interest in Watson over the last month. Interest from the Clippers, Bucks, and Cavs is real, yet there are still some limitations to each potential sign-and-trade scenario,” Siegel wrote.
The teams clearly want Watson, but the Nuggets are not going to let him leave unless they receive a package they believe is worth it.
Watson has earned $11 million throughout his young NBA career. Given Denver's current financial situation, the Nuggets also do not have much flexibility to work with in a potential trade. For now, the Hawks, Cavaliers, Clippers and Bucks will continue battling for Watson's services. If none of those teams can get a sign-and-trade completed, Watson could ultimately take his qualifying offer and enter unrestricted free agency in 2027.
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