Nuggets Offer Watson $70M He Mulls $6.5M Qualifying Deal

The Denver Nuggets face a critical financial and roster decision as contract negotiations with restricted free agent forward Peyton Watson have reached a standstill. According to league sources, the Nuggets have offered Watson a five-year contract worth $70 million, averaging $14 million annually, a figure well below the player's reported target of exceeding $25 million per year.

Watson, 23, is coming off a breakout 2025-26 season where he averaged career highs of 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, establishing himself as a two-way force. His value was particularly evident during a mid-season stretch when he averaged nearly 22 points per game while star center Nikola Jokic was injured. The Nuggets' offer is significantly less than the five-year, $125 million extension given to teammate Christian Braun in October 2025, a contract Watson is reportedly seeking to surpass.

The Nuggets' financial flexibility was severely constrained on July 26 when the team matched the Oklahoma City Thunder's two-year, $12 million offer sheet for forward Spencer Jones. That decision pushed Denver's payroll into the restrictive second tax apron, increasing its projected luxury tax...