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After Peyton Watson's sign-and-trade to the Cleveland Cavs, he reflected on the right hamstring injury that sidelined him in his last season with the Denver Nuggets. Watson's 2025-26 breakout season was cut short when he re-aggravated a Grade-2 hamstring strain ahead of the Nuggets' playoff run. Now, Peyton, as a member of the Cavs, says Denver attempted to rush him back for the postseason. Watson reflected on the process with the Nuggets after his initial right hamstring strain in a game against the New York Knicks in February, per Curious Mike's Instagram. “It was really, really tough, the entire process of my rehab. Obviously, when I got injured in New York, it was just a sickening feeling because I was up to win Most Improved Player award and up for a lot of stuff. It really hurt,” Watson said. “Two or three weeks into my rehab, I felt like they were ramping me back up too quickly, but at the same time, I know that I'm young, and I do heal pretty fast. “Like two or three weeks into my hamstring rehab, like I was out there playing with the coaches, and I just felt a little tweak. And I felt like that was kind of a minor setback that I didn't really want to accept. I remember feeling pressure to get back and get some games under my belt to warm up before the playoffs.” Former Nuggets wing Peyton Watson penned a message to the organization and its fans. Watson posted it to his Instagram. “Thank you for having me for the first four years of my career. As a young NBA player who was a bit naive and hadn't seen much of the real world, you guys took care of me better than I could have ever imagined,” read Watson's statement in part. “… thank you to the fans. Playing in front of you has been a dream come true. I'll see you all soon,” he concluded. Watson agreed to a four-year, $88 million extension with the Cavs.