Peyton Watson’s temporary star turn for the Nuggets has officially captured national attention.
Watson, who ordinarily comes off the bench for Denver, was named Western Conference Player of the Week by the NBA on Monday. The 23-year-old wing helped lead the Nuggets (26-13) to a 3-1 week without Nikola Jokic for all four games and without Jamal Murray for three of them.
Watson averaged 24.5 points, eight rebounds, four assists, 1.3 steals and 1.8 blocks across the four games. He shot 50% from the field and 70% from 3-point range, highlighted by a 30-point performance last Wednesday in Boston.
The Nuggets have turned to Watson as a ball-handler and shot creator more frequently with several rotation players sidelined by injury and illness. He is the 20th player in Nuggets franchise history to earn Player of the Week honors from the league, according to the team. He’s also the third Nugget recognized this season, joining Jokic and Murray.
Watson is a pending restricted free agent after he and the Nuggets were unable to agree to terms on a contract extension before the season. Watson told The Denver Post in October that it was a business decision by the team, and that Denver was trying to avoid the second tax apron for the 2026-27 league year.
“As a business, you’ve gotta operate (based on) what’s best for your business,” he said at the time. “And when it comes time for me to make my decision next summer, I’ve gotta operate as a business myself. That’s no diss to the Nuggets. That’s no diss to the Kroenkes. They’ve showed me a lot of love, a lot of hospitality, and they’ve done a lot for me. They gave me a chance in this league, to prove that I’m gonna be here for a while. So I think everything will work itself out.”
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