The Milwaukee Bucks are still one of the teams interested in acquiring restricted free agent Peyton Watson. As Eric Nehm of The Athletic reported on Thursday, the team is "hesitant" (subscription required) to meet the Nuggets' price of a first-round pick. However, that might not matter that much, as they can still help Denver in the asset department by absorbing Zeke Nnaji's contract.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported last week that the Bucks have considered taking on Nnaji's contract. That gives Milwaukee a leg up, as Denver would otherwise have to attach an asset to his deal to get off it.
Nnaji will make $7.5 million this upcoming season and has a $7.5 million player option for 2027-28 that he will, in all likelihood, exercise. The Nuggets are already over the second tax apron after matching the Thunder's offer sheet for Spencer Jones, which increased their luxury tax bill by $32 million. They're strapped financially, which makes Nnaji's contract as a non-rotation player look even worse.
If Watson is unwilling to re-sign a multi-year deal with Denver because he believes he deserves more than the five-year, $70 million offer the Nuggets made (if they don't want to add more money to that), he could seriously consider accepting his $6.5 million qualifying offer. They don't want to trade him, but that'd be better than losing him next summer for nothing.
Landing Peyton Watson would be huge for Bucks
Even if it means taking on Nnaji, who is 25, and would give Milwaukee added frontcourt depth. He's not a bad player, just on a bad contract in a situation that's not beneficial for him or his team. The Bucks would help him and the Nuggets out by taking him on.
If there isn't another potential Watson suitor out there willing to meet Denver's price of one first-round pick and a high-level player, the Nuggets should value the Bucks even more as a trade partner if they get Nnaji's contract off their hands.
And honestly, if it comes down to needing to give up a first-round pick to get Watson, that's very much a price that Milwaukee should be willing to pay with his upside as a player who could be with the Bucks for the next several years. They have a right to be cautious with their assets in their post-Giannis era, but using one on Watson would align with the direction they're going in.
If they can get the 23-year-old without giving up a first-round pick, though, it would be one of the best moves of the entire NBA offseason. And hey, maybe Nnaji could be someone in Milwaukee, too.
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