The Milwaukee Bucks are among the teams chasing free agent forward Peyton Watson, but they are not alone. Per The Athletic's Tony Jones (subscription required), the LA Clippers and Atlanta Hawks also have interest, while a return to Denver is also possible. If the Bucks want to make a push, they need a strong pitch, and perhaps Jaime Jaquez Jr., Watson's college teammate, can help.
College teammates could reunite in Milwaukee
These two are familiar with one another. Jaquez played at UCLA from 2019-2023, while Watson was there from 2021-22. They shared the court often, and it appears they still have a great relationship to this day. Notably, when Watson didn't make the cut for the 2024 NBA Rising Stars Game, Jaquez spoke up and voiced his disagreement with the ruling to The Denver Post.
“I definitely thought I’d be seeing him this weekend,” Jaquez, who was Watson’s college teammate at UCLA, told The Denver Post. “I know he’s having a great year out in Denver, especially Year 2 after the great year that (the Nuggets) had last year. It’s not up to me. I wish I could have seen him here. I think he deserves to be here.”
Acts like that stick with a player, especially when they are trying to decide where to suit up next in their young careers. As Kel'el Ware recently detailed to the Miami Herald (subscription required), moving to a new team in today's NBA is tough, but it helps when people you know are there. Jaquez could offer Watson that comfort to kickstart the second chapter of his NBA career.
Stiff competition looms in the Watson race
In addition to the Hawks and Clippers making a run at the Nuggets forward, the Brooklyn Nets also seemingly cannot be ruled out entirely. On a recent Twitch stream, Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. said that he was trying to get Watson to Brooklyn. Those two were teammates with the Nuggets, so Porter is obviously trying to use his relationship to lure him there. Everyone wants Watson.
The Milwaukee Bucks need all the help they can get. Atlanta, LA, and Denver could all make strong pitches to the forward financially and from a role perspective. They can only hope that Jaquez is putting in a good word to their current target, pitching him on how special a reunion in the 414 could look. Anything could help as the Bucks look to ink his signature.
Watson might not catapult the Milwaukee Bucks into the title-contending conversation, but he could certainly push them in the right direction. Young, 6-foot-8 forwards who shoot 41 percent from three while also playing defense do not grow on trees. If the Bucks land him, it would be another quality move in what has been a strong roster retooling post-Giannis Antetokounmpo.
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