The Nuggets are ultimately deciding to switch Peyton Watson for DeMar DeRozan, and that's not going to win them a championship.
Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan (10) shoots the ball against Denver Nuggets guard Peyton Watson (8) during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center.
Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
The Denver Nuggets are the only team in the NBA that is in the second apron, and for months, they've been trying to undo the voodoo. Whether that was making some of their players available for trade or possibly letting someone walk, there were avenues for them to avoid the situation they're in while possibly keeping Peyton Watson.
Fast forward to near the end of August, and the Nuggets were not able to accomplish any of those tasks. They basically still have the same roster from last year, and they backtracked on making players available. Spencer Jones signed an offer sheet with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Nuggets matched it, which put them in the apron. That then led them to just let Watson go for a few picks after trading him to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a multi-team deal.
After all that, the Nuggets are now showing interest in DeMar DeRozan, the veteran forward who was waived by the Sacramento Kings during the summer. At this point in his career, it's hard to see DeRozan being the missing piece for a championship contender, and the only reason the Nuggets may be interested is that he'll be cheap.
This is not the time for the Nuggets to be cheap.
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They have several players on their team who may already be in their prime or getting out of it. They also have a few young players who have shown that when given minutes, they can contribute at a high level. Though they're in this current cap situation, the best thing for them to do is go all-in instead of having one foot in and one foot out.
Watson is a young player who could've been a potential star for the Nuggets in the future, but now they won't have anything to show for it. What happens if the Nuggets flame out again in the first round of the playoffs? Does the organization finally decide to start from scratch and rebuild? If so, who is the young player that they can trust to keep through all the changes and know he can be a difference-maker?
The Nuggets were better off just paying Watson what he wanted and maximizing their championship window, if it's still open. As long as the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are in the way, anybody else's window in the Western Conference may be closed until further notice.
Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.