Troy Renck: Nuggets Nation would rather pull a hamstring than pull the lever on a trade of a popular veteran to keep Peyton Watson. It is not a reflection of Watson, but of loyalty and winning. The idea of moving All-NBA player Jamal Murray or Mr. Nugget, Aaron Gordon, to free up salary space for the 23-year-old forward is difficult to digest given their roles in delivering the franchise’s only championship. Watson averages 8.7 points per game for his career and missed 34 games last season. And yet, he represents where the league is going — a long, athletic shot-blocker with the ability to create his own shot off the dribble. So, it brings us back to the uncomfortable question: Who are you willing to trade to make room for Watson?
Sean Keeler: Is it worth going into the NBA’s second salary-cap apron and running it back with an old, aging core in a Western Conference that now has two “final boss battles” in the Spurs and Thunder? Heck, no. If you’re serious about the next three to four seasons of peak Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets’ roster should be a yard sale — and every superstar is sitting out on the lawn this month with a price tag next to them. No vet is untouchable. If it’s me, the sexiest names on the move should be Jamal Murray ($50.1 million cap number next year) or Aaron Gordon ($31.9 million). It probably will be Cameron Johnson ($23.1 million), who’s got a more digestible cap number and is heading into a “walk” year.
Renck: The best moves are not always the most popular. So while a painful suggestion, Gordon is the player to trade in order to clear a path for Watson. Gordon has been everything for the Nuggets. His unselfishness and understanding of how to fit his skill set around Nikola Jokic’s brilliance remain unmatched. But it just doesn’t work anymore unless ownership goes into the apron and adds veterans to help him. Gordon turns 31 in September, a few weeks before beginning his 13th season. The Nuggets want him to be more versatile than Khakis offensively and their best defensive player. Talk about an unfair ask. Gordon has sat out 77 regular-season games the past two years with a battery of hamstring and calf injuries. His contract — $103 million over the next three seasons — makes him hard to move, but not impossible. Watson, like Gordon, has leg issues. But he is six years younger, making it easier to bet on his future.
Keeler: The trouble with keeping AG is the same as the Broncos re-upping with JK Dobbins. When healthy, they’re among the best on the planet at their respective positions. You can build a title-winning team around what they do well. But that health just can’t be counted on anymore. The problem with moving Gordon now is, as we’ve seen time and again, all the things he’s asked to do to complete this puzzle — and what it looks like when he’s not on the floor. , the Nuggets were on a 62-win pace when AG played during the regular season with a plus-12.7 Net rating. Without him? A 48-win pace and a plus-2.8.
Renck: Murray provides an opportunity to bring the biggest return, especially if the Nuggets can get Toronto involved. But Murray turned the corner last season with his durability and leadership. He is a liability defensively, but the Nuggets need his scoring. Unless he can bring back a potential star in a deal, Denver is better off keeping him. Trading Cam Johnson is the easiest path. He and Watson fill a similar role, so you don’t need both of them. But what is he bringing in return? Regardless, the NBA postseason has made it clear that the Nuggets should do everything they can to keep Watson, a bouncy, high-upside prospect who can play defense.
Keeler: Move Cam Johnson, you’re probably just getting a slightly cheaper Cam Johnson clone back. Trading the Blue Arrow offers you a window to author a real, honest-to-goodness makeover. Running it back is fine, unless you want a different result — the Nuggets were reportedly hovering about $2.6 million below the second salary-cap apron as of Monday morning, Watson has to be the priority here. You don’t vow to get younger, longer and more athletic over the summer and then let your single-most athletic piece walk away without a fight.
