The Los Angeles Lakers are still in the process of working through the Western Conference playoff picture, but it’s never too early to hear about who some of their offseason targets might be.
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Lakers have had their eyes on a Denver Nuggets standout in Peyton Watson.
The Latest On LA’s Peyton Watson Interest
Per Fischer, the Lakers’ interest in Watson dates back to pre-trade deadline in February. It’s unclear just how interested the Lakers were in Watson, but there was at least some level of interest.
“League sources have already identified the Lakers, Bulls and Nets as potential suitors that are likely to have the requisite spending power to present an offer sheet that causes angst in the Rocky Mountains. The Stein Line has learned, in fact, that both the Lakers and Bulls registered trade interest in Watson leading up to the in-season deadline for deals on Feb. 5.” via The Stein Line
Will Peyton Watson Become A Free Agent?
Without an extension in place, free agency is inevitable for Watson. However, he’s going to be a restricted player. The Nuggets are expected to extend a qualifying offer, and they’ll have to negotiate a long-term deal, or else another team will.
Although the Lakers will have room, that doesn’t guarantee they have the strongest shot to land Watson. No matter what the Lakers or anybody else do in terms of an offer, the Nuggets have the power to match an offer sheet.
While there is still time for Denver to figure out their future plans, all signs point to the Nuggets having a desire to retain Watson.
The 23-year-old is a former 30th overall pick out of UCLA. He’s been in the NBA since 2022. Over four seasons, Watson has appeared in 225 games, picking up 65 starts. This year, Watson started a career-high 40 games. He posted averages of 14.6 points, while shooting 49.1% from the field and hitting on 41.1% from three.
Watson also has playoff experience. Last year, he averaged 14.2 minutes off the bench in 14 games. Watson shot 36.8% from three, producing 4.5 points per game.
The four-year, $11.26 million deal for Watson expires at the end of this season. Watson has earned a notable deal–it’s just unclear where it’s going to come from–and whether Denver picks it up or not.