Acquiring Peyton Watson seems to be the Bucks’ top priority right now, but the move still comes with a huge risk considering that Watson has rarely played a starring role in the Nuggets offense over the last 4 years. However, the Bucks have one huge reason to believe that Watson can showcase another offensive gear in Milwaukee: reigning Most Improved Player Nickeil Alexander-Walker.Â
Like Watson, Alexander-Walker also played a primarily defensive role on a contending team (the Timberwolves in NAW's case) for years before finding an opportunity to expand his offensive role on a new team last season. The result was a massive scoring spike, going from 9.4 points per game in 2024-25 to 20.8 in 2025-26 with the Hawks. The Bucks are hoping to see a similar jump from Watson if they are able to pounce on him in a sign-and-trade.
Alexander-Walker laid the blueprint for Watson
Prior to arriving in Atlanta, Alexander-Walker had shown some flashes of his offensive potential even with the Timberwolves. Watson has arguably already shown more in his career, as he averaged nearly 15 points per game last season and had a stretch averaging over 20 for over a month. During that time, he created a lot of his own looks off the dribble - an intriguing addition to his usually brilliant off-ball play.
Signing Watson to a lucrative deal could be a risky move for the Bucks that potentially tanks their cap space going forward, but Watson is the exact type of player they should be targeting with that cap space anyways. If he takes a jump similar to NAW in a new environment, Watson could quickly establish himself as one of the top young two-way wings in the NBA.
During his stretch averaging over 20, Watson continued to maintain his usual solid defense; he averaged 1.1 steals and 1.6 blocks per game during that span. Similar to NAW, he can retain a high floor as a solid contributor thanks to his defensive skillset, even if the offensive jump doesn't pan out. That gives the Bucks even more reason to bet on Watson now. Even if they don't get the best possible outcome, he'll still be a good player for a long time.
Milwaukee should pull the trigger this offseason
The Bucks still have time to work out a deal with Watson and the Nuggets, although Denver unfortunately has all of the leverage right now thanks to the mechanisms of restricted free agency. However, the Nuggets' extreme financial crunch and limited roster flexibility with the second apron put them in a bind that likely won't be able to afford Watson any longer.
If Milwaukee isn't able to acquire Watson by the time the season starts, that should be viewed as a front office failure. The Bucks have the right pieces to get a deal done and every reason to add Watson as a rising young talent.
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