Overview
- The Nuggets are asking for a sign‑and‑trade package comparable to the Walker Kessler deal, a return that included two first‑round picks and two pick swaps, and that demand has blocked serious bids.
- That steep asking price has cooled the Clippers’ pursuit and kept the Hawks from advancing their interest because both clubs balk at giving Denver what it wants.
- Clippers interest has not disappeared—L.A. has considered a $25M‑plus salary for Watson—but sources say the team may shift focus to re‑signing Bennedict Mathurin instead.
- Watson and Denver continue direct talks but remain apart on contract value, and re‑signing Watson at the reported market rate could push the Nuggets above the NBA’s punitive second apron unless they clear salary elsewhere.
- The sign‑and‑trade standoff highlights two wider facts: Denver, as Watson’s RFA holder, controls any move, and using the Kessler deal as a benchmark lets the Nuggets protect their championship window or extract major assets if they choose to trade him.