Nope, the Brooklyn Nets don’t have interest in restricted free agent Peyton Watson. Ask any self-respecting pundit. They’ll tell you the 6’9” 23-year-old two-way player is headed either back to the Denver Nuggets or maybe the Los Angeles Clippers or the Atlanta Hawks … although the Hawks acquisition of Lu Dort seems to have quelled that rumor a bit.
Also, Sean Marks has said he’s happy with his team, although if opportunity knocks, he’ll be ready, he told the media in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
“When you’re rebuilding a team like we have been the last couple of years, that’s important,” he said of optionality. You just never know what’s going to come your way. So for us to have that optionality will be really important. But at the same time, I like the roster we have.“:
So, all that said, what to make of Watson and his old friend and teammate, Michael Porter Jr. spending the last several weeks together, with MPJ noting, perhaps with a laugh that he’s recruiting the kid, their fun reaching a crescendo Tuesday with the publication of this image … by Watson.
Consider that Watson is shirtless, this seems more than just a tour. Fair to say the Denver forward worked out on the Nets equipment at the HSS Training Center in Sunset Park. That, of course, is interesting on a number of levels. While the two have been seen in various places doing various things over the past month, the training facility is an organization’s inner sanctum. Nets players have 24/7 access to the facility and can invite friends inside. (The third man is not a Nets employee.)
Then, there’s this: when MPJ was traded to Brooklyn a year ago, [he was wowed](https://www.instagram.com/reels/DMekd16smo8/) by HSS and compared it favorably to the Nuggets facility, which despite its championship history and aspirations is notably not top-notch. And yes, the Kroenke family which owns the Nuggets is notoriously tight-fisted. Not so, the Tsais.
Is it just the latest (telltale?) sign of the friendship between the two: They were at the World Cup Final on Sunday too … with legendary boxer Terrence Crawford… in the Tequila Don Suite…
Porter apparently introduced PWat to his teammates too…
As [we reported two weeks ago](/off-season-report/111579/netsdaily-off-season-report-no-12), the two were also at the Fanactic FanFest Friday where a fan caught the two sitting together and MPJ talking free agency…
His key line from an impromtu conversation involving him, Watson and a fan went something like this:
“He boutta sign for $130 million. I’m tryna get him in Brooklyn, though.” (Watson adds, “230.”)
Back in June, the two were seen on a leased yacht off the French Riviera, celebrating MPJ’s 28th in style…
Beats us but there are some intriguing possibilities starting with the most obvious: that Porter Jr. IS trying to recruit Watson who along with the Pistons Jalen Duren are the best restricted free agents still out there. He averaged 14.6 points on 49/41/73 shooting splits and is a first-rate defender.
Although the Nets have some wiggle room under the salary cap, not enough to tender an offer sheet.
Also, any sign-and-trade with Denver would be highly complicated starting with the lack of a big contract on the Nets side of things. MPJ with his $40.8 million deal would be an ideal piece but Porter Jr. presumably wants to play with PWat not be traded for him. Not to mention Denver dumped Porter Jr. a year ago for Cam Johnson and a future Nugget first. Julius Randle’s $33.3 million deal might fit too but he can’t be traded till December. And no, it would be unimaginable for the Nets to trade either Egor Demin or Mikel Brown Jr. (Brown Jr. can’t be traded.) So, how would that work?
However, the one thing that we always keep in mind when tempted to try our hand at someone’s trade machine: Fans always underestimate the dark magic GMs and their capologists can conjure up from the pages of the CBA: Multi-team deals, multiple sign-and-trades, workarounds, previously unearthed language in the CBA’s nooks and crannies, etc., etc. And the Nets have more draft assets than any NBA team, the Nuggets unprotected 2032 first, acquired ironically enough in the MPJ deal, being among their most valuable.
Then, there’s the ultimate issue: Where would Watson fit? He and MPJ play the same position. Watson was Porter’s back-up when they played together in Denver. How do you make this work? What’s Demin’s role in a new order?
Of course, it may just be that Porter is trying to get his friend more bucks from the Kroenkes. They’ve successfully scared off other suitors to give them more leverage when the two sides ultimately sit down. At this point, the Clippers may be their only competition but who knows how appealing they will be once Adam Silver brings the hammer down on them. Just hinting at a possible Nets offer might be helpful to PWat. That’s what friends are for, right?
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