Peyton Watson
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Peyton Watson during a game against the Houston Rockets in November 2025
The Denver Nuggets will be without breakout forward Peyton Watson for an extended period, compounding Denver’s injury issues at a critical point in the Western Conference playoff race.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Watson is expected to miss at least a month after suffering a left hamstring strain.
“Breaking: Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson will be re-evaluated in four weeks with a left hamstring strain,” Scotto wrote Friday on X. “Watson is in the midst of a breakout season.”
Nuggets Breakout Star Suffers Grade 2 Hamstring Strain
Less than 24 hours after Denver’s 134–127 double-overtime loss to the New York Knicks, the Nuggets absorbed another setback when Watson was diagnosed with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain.
Tony Jones of The Athletic first reported the diagnosis Thursday, hours after the NBA trade deadline had passed.
“Watson had been a breakout star for the Nuggets,” Jones wrote. “This adds to their injury misfortune.”
Jones later added that Watson plans to seek another medical opinion, but the current expectation remains that he will be sidelined for at least a month.
Watson exited Wednesday’s game with 8:30 remaining in the fourth quarter after recording 10 points and five rebounds, and did not return.
Brutal Timing as Watson Emerges as Nuggets Starter
The timing of the injury was particularly damaging for Denver.
Watson had recently emerged as a consistent starter, filling in for Aaron Gordon, who earlier missed extended time with his own hamstring injury that was later aggravated.
Since the start of the calendar year, the 22-year-old had been playing the best basketball of his career. Over that stretch, Watson averaged 21.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.1 steals, providing steady two-way production for a lineup already dealing with multiple absences.
“Nothin’ new to us,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said after the loss.
Even so, the margin for error is narrowing. Denver’s lead for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference is just one game over the Houston Rockets.
“It’s deflating when you keep seeing people go down around you when you’re trying to build toward something,” Adelman said.
Nuggets Forced Into Another Rotation Reset
Watson’s absence adds to a growing list of injuries Denver has navigated this season.
The Nuggets have already dealt with missed time from Nikola Jokić, starting guard Christian Braun, backup center Jonas Valančiūnas, and Gordon’s lingering hamstring issues.
With Watson sidelined, Denver is again forced to recalibrate its rotation as it approaches the All-Star break.
“It’s just the next iteration,” Adelman said. “We’ll have to re-evaluate the starting lineup, re-evaluate the rotation, get ourselves to the break and take a long, long rest.”
The Nuggets will begin their stretch without Watson on Saturday, when they host the Chicago Bulls, marking the first test of a reshaped rotation.
Spencer Jones Injury Adds Another Scare
Watson was not the only Nugget to leave Wednesday’s game early.
Two-way forward Spencer Jones exited late in the first quarter with a head contusion after colliding with Karl-Anthony Towns. Jones did not return, though Adelman later downplayed the severity.
“It was just concussion protocol,” Adelman said.
Jones’ status had taken on added significance after Denver cleared a roster spot for him ahead of the deadline. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Nuggets traded Hunter Tyson and a 2032 second-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets, acquiring the lesser of the Los Angeles Clippers’ or Atlanta Hawks’ 2026 second-round picks.
The move dropped Denver below the luxury tax line and opened the roster spot needed to convert Jones to a standard contract. Jones, now in his second season, has averaged 6.0 points and 3.1 rebounds while starting 34 games amid Denver’s ongoing injury challenges.
For a Nuggets team chasing seeding — and stability — Watson’s absence looms as another major test.