Nikola Jokic has a well-earned reputation for staying calm amid noise. Even now, thousands of miles from Denver while suiting up for Serbia in FIBA World Cup qualifiers, the three-time MVP barely blinked when asked about the biggest shake-up to hit his roster all summer. That shake-up was the exit of Peyton Watson, one of the more athletic pieces Denver had built around its franchise center.

It’s the kind of move that would rattle most stars as they watch their supporting cast get thinner. Jokic, whose calm has become as much a part of his identity as the three MVP trophies and the 2023 championship he’s collected in Denver, didn’t sound rattled at all. Speaking to Serbian reporter Miroslav Ćuk, who translated his response into English, Jokic addressed the trade directly.

“I’m happy for Peyton. He deserved it,” Jokic said. “We will miss his energy and skill. I don’t think about the season yet; we have to play this, but it’s gonna be okay.”

That mix of support and honesty tracks with Watson’s actual production. In 54 games last season, Watson averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 49.9% from the field, numbers that made him one of Denver’s most complete two-way players. And in the 40 games he started, Watson averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.2 stocks per game.

The trade itself grew into something far bigger than a simple swap. Denver, Cleveland, and the LA Clippers built a multi-team deal that eventually pulled in the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards as well. Cleveland landed Watson along with Cam Whitmore from Washington. The Clippers received Max Strus, while the Wizards received guard Tre Mann and a 2027 second-round pick, and the Hornets received guard Dennis Schroder.

Watson is landing a four-year, $88 million deal in Cleveland. Denver’s end of the return was strictly draft capital: an unprotected 2031 first-round pick from the Cavaliers and a 2032 second-rounder that originally belonged to Sacramento.

This contract speaks for itself about what Denver has prioritized this offseason. Denver reportedly offered Watson only $70 million over four years. And according to Bobby Marks of ESPN, the new contract would have cost Denver up to $238 million in penalties, making a release a much more rational step.

For Denver, Watson became one of the rare players with a genuine two-way threat on the wing, exactly the archetype the team has been chasing for years. Yet, the moment he finally showed what that versatility looked like at full tilt, Denver’s financial constraints ultimately pushed the front office toward a sign-and-trade. That gap shows up nowhere more than Denver’s bench, which has no one else capable of matching his impact on both ends.

Watson slotting in as a difference-making sixth man this season is now off the table, and it’s fair to wonder whether Spencer Jones, Alpha Diallo, or Julian Strawther can realistically fill that void, or whether the Nuggets end up circling back to the free-agent market for someone like DeMar DeRozan. Right now, there’s no clean answer on the roster, and that’s the kind of hole that tends to cost teams later. Still, Jokic is choosing to stay optimistic.

That said, Jokic’s own contractual situation introduces yet another element of uncertainty for Denver before the start of the season. The player has delayed signing an extension twice and has preferred to wait until next summer when he is eligible for an even better offer with a potential no-trade clause. While Jokic simply seems to be waiting for financial maximisation, rumors have already begun swirling, linking him to Luka Doncic’s Lakers.