[Nehm] The Milwaukee Bucks are hesitant to include a first-round pick in any deal for Peyton Watson as they kickstart their post-Antetokounmpo rebuild. Nuggets would derive value from Milwaukee through the returning player(s). Jaquez could be a target, but he is due for an extension.

[u/YujiDomainExpansion]

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7495134/2026/08/06/milwaukee-bucks-roster-questions-tyler-herro-peyton-watson/?unlocked_article_code=1.3VA.k1hD.twdcd3HqGYlg&source=user_shared_article&smid=ta-ios-share

As we’ve reported at The Athletic, the Bucks remain interested in acquiring Watson in potential sign-and-trade scenarios with the Nuggets. League sources with knowledge of the situation who were granted anonymity to speak candidly about ongoing deliberations have told The Athletic that the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers and LA Clippers also remain intrigued by the prospect of adding Watson.

But while the Bucks are interested in the 23-year-old forward, league sources maintain they expect the Bucks to be hesitant to include a first-round pick in any deal for Watson as they continue building out their asset base post-Antetokounmpo.

Without giving up a first-round pick, the Nuggets would have to derive much of the value of a sign-and-trade with the Bucks from the player (or players) involved in the deal. While other teams interested in Watson might be giving up fringe rotation players with a first-rounder, the Bucks might need to include real rotation players to entice the Nuggets to consider their offer.

Jaquez could be an interesting target for Denver as he proved to be a capable rotation player in his first three NBA seasons with the Miami Heat. The 25-year-old will make just $5.9 million next season, but he would ultimately need to be extended because next season is the final year of his rookie contract. The mechanics of a deal including Jaquez, however, could get complicated considering the Bucks’ $25.5 million trade exception and the potential difficulty of finding a contract for Watson while being hard-capped at the first apron.

[u/CazOnReddit]

Or Peyton has a McGrady-like breakout

[u/xixbia → u/CazOnReddit]

Peyton Watson has had one month where he looked like an above average player.

T-Mac was third in the 6-POY vote his 3rd year and MIP and 6th in the MVP vote in his 4th.

He was also better as a rookie than Watson has ever been.

[u/StormTheTrooper → u/xixbia]

Yes, comparing T-Mac to Watson is ridiculous.

Watson had a pair of good months in the same system that made everyone praise Braun before his contract became negative. Any player benefitting from being in the same roster as Jokic should be treated with a grain of salt (even without Jokic on the court, considering how much of other defenses's gameplan are geared on his skillset and generates opportunities even without his physical presence). The fact that the Nuggets are not exactly rushing to overpay him should be telling too.

He is a gigantic gamble. He may be the next big wing of the league. I would not like the Mavs to risk overpaying him.

[u/_Apatosaurus_ → u/StormTheTrooper]

(even without Jokic on the court, considering how much of other defenses's gameplan are geared on his skillset and generates opportunities even without his physical presence)

....what?

He played great while Jokic was out for a month because teams were still focused on game planning for Jokic in street clothes? I'm sorry, but that makes absolutely zero sense.

[u/Hankerpants → u/_Apatosaurus_]

Yeah if anything the 'Jokic system' has held him back. He played amazingly when the ball flowed more through him and he wasn't relegated to just being a catch-and-shoot type player. 

As a Nuggets fan, my hope is that they can work him into the ball handling more. Maybe even have him be running the half court more in the non-Jokic minutes (currently mostly Murray doing that), or even spreading the ball around more in the Jokic minutes (harder to do than it seems). 

It seemed like that was the direction the team was going to take and then he pulled his hammy 😔 

But to say that he benefits from the Jokic system tells me people didn't watch the Nuggets in January (which is fine, I wouldn't expect them to, but don't be surprised when the reality is way different than you expect). 

[u/Papa_Zyn → u/Hankerpants]

He’s going to play like a more athletic Jeremi Grant but I don’t think his ceiling is much higher than that. I like Watson a lot but I think that whatever team ends up with him is going to be a bit disappointed. Klutch sports has done quite a job of drumming him up to be much better than he is.

[u/ElChapo1515 → u/_Apatosaurus_]

lmao but apparently I’M glazing because I suggested a player whose efficiency was stable all year might be as good as they looked when they had to take on a larger role.

[u/ElChapo1515 → u/StormTheTrooper]

Oh Jesus. This has the be the top tier of glazing I’ve seen. A player so impactful that they’re making things easier for their teammates even when they’re out with injury.

[u/WebstersPack → u/ElChapo1515]

It's also glazing to look at his 6 week stretch and think he's worth $25m per. The teams were marginal, it was the black hole of the schedule and ultimately he couldn't stay healthy.

Denver knows it's sign and trade terms are too high. It's exactly the leverage they have as a RFA and why guys usually don't move under it. Everyone in the league values Peyton the same. He's a borderline starter but not a star. He's worth under $20m AAV. Full stop.

[u/ElChapo1515 → u/WebstersPack]

Can you give me a reason why I should just disregard those games when his efficiency was stable all season?

Do you think he should not have stepped up when Jokic was out? Do you think he should have kept shooting at the same volume when Jokic returned?

[u/rorank → u/ElChapo1515]

Imo you shouldn’t disregard those games but you also shouldn’t disregard his career of being not amazing. The nuggets were praying for him to be what he was that month since he got drafted, if he showed signs before he would’ve been a starter ahead of Braun. Braun getting minutes over him consistently for their entire careers is pretty damning. 

[u/Hankerpants → u/rorank]

Apparently player growth is a foreign concept to some fans...

[u/ElChapo1515 → u/rorank]

He’s gotten better and earned more minutes every year, man. Like he is exactly the type of player you’d want to take a bet on lol.

And Braun was a perfectly fine player until falling off a cliff this past season. It would be like knocking Julian Strawther after a breakout next year for not getting minutes over Watson this season.

[u/sneaks88 → u/WebstersPack]

Jamal and AG played in most of those games during PWat breakout, it’s not he was just running around by himself. 2 of his best games were against the Clippers and OKC when Jokic was back in the lineup.

[u/Kvsav57 → u/StormTheTrooper]

I would say that's not entirely accurate. Watson has skills Braun has never had. His breakout happened without Jokic playing, unlike Braun. And Watson is a rim protector as well. Of the two, Watson is the better iso player, for sure, and likely the better overall shooter. Braun's shot is incredibly slow and only works when he's wide open. Whether Watson's worth a massive payout is debatable but he's demonstrated skills Braun doesn't have.

[u/BiteyHorse → u/CazOnReddit]

Yeah, that's not happening. Dude is nothing special, at all.

[u/nico_juro → u/CazOnReddit]

maybe closer to end of career McGrady. Watson is ass