The Denver Nuggets are dealing with a couple of major injuries.
Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon are both sidelined for a while.
That has an interesting side effect: It has pushed Peyton Watson into the spotlight. It's key timing for Watson and for the Nuggets.
After the season, Watson will be a restricted free agent. Now, he gets a chance to showcase himself.
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This past offseason, Jonathan Kuminga and Josh Giddey led an RFA class that had a tough time getting contracts done.
If Watson plays well now, he could fall into that category next summer.
ESPN's Tim MacMahon explained the situation like this on Wednesday as ESPN ranked the Nuggets No. 3 in its league power rankings:
"Peyton Watson, who is headed toward restricted free agency after failing to reach an agreement on an extension of his rookie contract with the Nuggets, will have an extended stretch as a starter to showcase himself with Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon out for weeks because of injuries. Watson has averaged 16.7 points and 6.7 rebounds while starting the past six games, highlighted by the two highest-scoring performances of his career (32 and 27 points in wins over the Pelicans and Grizzlies, respectively). Watson is shooting 40% from 3-point range this season, which could be the key to getting the kind of contract he's seeking."
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The Nuggets haven't done too much changing to their starting lineup in recent years. This season, they tried the Michael Porter Jr. for Cameron Johnson swap that hasn't worked out so far.
But even in Johnson's struggles, Denver has been really, really good. That's in part because Watson has upped his game.
Will that earn Watson a big contract from the Nuggets, or a big offer sheet from elsewhere? That will likely depend how he plays in the weeks ahead amid the injuries.
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