Overview
- Watson broke out in 2025-26, averaging 14.6 points with 41.1% three-point shooting in a larger role.
- He now enters restricted free agency, where Denver can issue a qualifying offer and match any offer sheet.
- Denver sits about $2 million below the NBA’s second apron, a high payroll line that brings heavy limits on trades and signings.
- Reports flag the Lakers, Bulls and Nets as suitors, while Miami could use the full mid-level exception of about $15 million to make a run.
- Last summer Denver prioritized Christian Braun, a choice that now frames the decision on how far to go to keep Watson.