After months of rumors, prized free agent Peyton Watson finally found a new home in a sign-and-trade to the Cavaliers, but it came at a hefty price for Cleveland. In the trade, the Cavs gave up both an unprotected first-round pick in 2031 and Max Strus. The Bucks may be disappointed to lose out on Watson, but they are more than justified in holding back their future picks as they enter a rebuild.
Watson's price was too high for the Bucks
Truth be told, the price for Watson could end up being too high even for the Cavaliers if their team regresses in the next 5 years. But for a young team in Milwaukee that's prioritizing young talent, the move would have made no sense whatsoever. Watson could have been a good piece in Milwaukee that played an important role on the wing, but he's not worth the price of a valuable future pick along with another solid player.
The negotiations for Watson were tough because the Nuggets are in such a financial predicament being over the second apron. As a result, they could only receive picks back in the trade and were unable to absorb any salary. This led to the Cavaliers having to bring in the embattled Clippers, who sent a second-round pick of their own to Denver in exchange for receiving Strus.
Milwaukee obviously could have beat the Cavs' offer if they wanted to, since the Bucks' future picks likely carry more value as a rebuilding team. But that's all the more reason the Bucks shouldn't have made the same deal. Their picks for the next 5 years are very likely to fall in the top 10 of the Draft, and there's no reason to give them up early for an unproven player.
The Bucks didn't need Watson that desperately
Despite the general perception around the Bucks roster heading into next season, they still have some talent on the team - especially exciting young players. Ryan Rollins is coming off a terrific season as the lead ball-handler and still improving at 23 years old. And the Bucks added some fresh new talent in Kel'el Ware, Brayden Burries and Nate Ament this summer.
Watson might have more pedigree as a winning NBA player than all those guys thanks to his time on the Nuggets, but he hasn't shown much more as an offensive focal point. He had a few weeks of elevated scoring last season when Nikola Jokic was injured, but it's impossible to tell how he would fare in Milwaukee with more defensive attention on him. The Bucks couldn't risk trading away a first-rounder for him without more of a guarantee that he could succeed as their starting small forward of the future.
Even if Watson could have completed the Bucks' lineup going forward, Milwaukee's front office still made a wise decision not to pursue him at the wrong cost. They need all the picks they can get moving forward, even if it costs them players like Watson now.
Add us as a preferred source on Google