The Denver Nuggets didn’t just lose a young player this offseason. They may have opened another uncomfortable conversation about how aggressively the franchise is building around Nikola Jokić. And after Peyton Watson’s move to Cleveland, one prominent voice around the team made his feelings painfully clear. The Nuggets are running back much of their roster, but one of their most promising young pieces will not be part of it.
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DNVR Sports reporter Harrison Wind reacted immediately after news broke that Watson was heading to the Cavs in a multi-team sign-and-trade. Watson agreed to a four-year, $88 million deal, while the Nuggets received the Cavs’ 2031 first-round pick and a 2032 second-round pick via Sacramento. Max Strus, meanwhile, landed with the Clippers.
Wind didn’t hide his disappointment.
“My instant reaction is, this sucks. This honestly sucks,” Wind said on X.
He pointed to Watson’s potential as a starter, his defense, athleticism, length, and improved scoring.
“With Jokic or without Jokic, he could have changed the whole dynamic of this Nuggets team. And I was really excited about the possibilities there. But he’s gone,” Wind added with disappointment.
That is what makes the trade difficult to swallow from a Denver perspective. Peyton Watson wasn’t simply another bench player entering free agency. The 23-year-old wing averaged a career-high 14.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, and 1.1 bpg last season, while shooting 41.1% from beyond the arc. His presence gave the Nuggets something that every team longs for: a young, athletic two-way player with room to grow.
“He’s gone, and the Nuggets are really looking like they’re going to be running back a lot of their roster, but without Peyton Watson,” Wind concluded, summing up his immediate concern.
That distinction matters.
The Nuggets are not rebuilding. They are trying to maximize the championship window of one of the greatest players in basketball. A 2031 first-round pick may become a valuable asset, but it doesn’t help Jokic during the upcoming season. Peyton Watson potentially could have.
The bigger issue, however, sits above the transaction itself. The Nuggets cannot afford too many backward steps while Nikola Jokić remains at the center of everything.
That is why the trade has also revived discussion surrounding Jokic’s long-term future. As Lakers Nation’s Trevor Lane pointed out, Jokic has yet to sign an extension and could reach free agency next summer. There is no concrete indication that the 3x MVP plans to leave Denver. And reports or speculation about a potential exit should not be treated as evidence of departure.
Still, the pressure on the front office is obvious. Every major roster decision will now face the same question: Does this make Denver better around Jokic?
The Peyton Watson trade makes that answer harder to see immediately. The Nuggets gained future draft assets, but they surrendered a 23-year-old player who seemed capable of helping the franchise right now. Wind’s “this honestly sucks” reaction may sound harsh, yet it captures why the move produced such backlash.
For the Nuggets, the real test comes next. Running it back is one thing. Running it back after removing one of the roster’s most promising young two-way players is another thing entirely.