The Milwaukee Bucks are one of the teams that could potentially get in on the race to land Peyton Watson in a sign-and-trade. The Denver Nuggets don’t want to dip over the second apron, so they could end up looking to move Watson this summer (or he could accept the qualifying offer). But while signing Watson sounds good in theory, it makes more sense for them to pass on him.
Watson is a good player, and last year, he had the best season of his career. He’s still only 23 years old and has plenty of room to grow, but he seems more like a high-level role player. Can he be an elite role player? Absolutely. But that’s not exactly what the Bucks need to be prioritizing right now. They shouldn’t want to tie up long-term money right now either.
Instead of overpaying for Watson, the Bucks should keep their future financial flexibility and focus on developing the young talent they already have on the roster.
The Bucks should not trade for Peyton Watson
In today’s NBA, financial flexibility is everything. Just look around the league. Teams like the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder have been absolutely ravaged by the second apron.
Last summer, the Celtics traded away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in order to duck the second apron, and this summer, the Thunder traded Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins in salary dumps.
That’s a situation the Bucks won’t have to worry about for a while, but it is one they should always stay aware of. And right now, especially considering Milwaukee already has too many players on its roster, trading for Watson and handing him a huge deal isn’t that smart.
Plus, if you look at the reports of the type of deal that Watson wants, it definitely wouldn’t be a good idea. One of the concepts going around would involve the Bucks taking Watson into their Giannis Antetokounmpo TPE.
But the Bucks are only $24.5 million below the second apron, and Watson reportedly wants a deal worth at least $25 million a year. Signing him would put them way too close to the second apron for a team just beginning its rebuild.
Watson is a good player. He could even turn into a great role player. But he doesn’t seem like the type of guy who could help turn a team around. And that’s what the Bucks need to be finding right now.
Overpaying for a role player, even a high-level one, isn’t where the Bucks’ focus needs to be.
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