During the previous offseason, the Denver Nuggets lost two important rotation bench players, Bruce Brown and Jeff Green, to free agency. These moves had a significant impact on Denver’s championship run, and it was soon apparent that general manager Calvin Booth and his front office staff were determined to fill the void with young, drafted talent that the Nuggets were developing internally.
Among them is Christian Braun, who contributed significantly to Denver’s championship run even as a rookie and put on a strong show against the Miami Heat in the Finals.
Another was a far less experienced player going into this season: Peyton Watson, a tremendously athletic 6-foot-8 defensive wing with a 7-foot wingspan who was selected with the 30th pick in 2022 alongside Braun. In just 23 games during his rookie campaign, Watson averaged 8.1 minutes per game. He primarily played in the G League for development purposes, only making occasional appearances with the Nuggets at the conclusion of the season.
However, Watson was taken with a pick that Denver got by trading JaMychal Green and a 2027 protected first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Nuggets leadership was openly enthused about a bright future for Watson from the outset.
