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The Denver Nuggets recently let down their fans even more by trading wing Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers as opposed to bringing him back on a new deal. The move sends one of the few sources of athleticism and defensive versatility elsewhere after both of those needs were exposed in Denver's playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Watson missed that series due to injury, and now more information has come to light on how the Nuggets and Watson's team didn't see eye-to-eye on the state of his injury. “The Nuggets felt strongly that Watson could’ve suited up by the end of the series but was slow-playing his return to protect his contract value,” reported Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. He also reported that Watson's agent, Rich Paul, “had intervened to tell Watson it would be unsafe to play on a bad hamstring with free agency on the horizon.” It's certainly understandable that Watson would have reason for pause about risking a catastrophic injury with potential generational wealth on the table this summer, which he ultimately secured in his sign-and-trade with the Cavs. “When you’re dealing with those (soft tissue) injuries, you have to be very careful in your return,” Paul said on his “Game Over” podcast. “Guys want to play. You have to protect them from themselves in that moment because you’re up for a contract.” Durando also reported that Watson's teammate Aaron Gordon was among those advising him to be cautious with his injury return, having himself played on a bad hamstring in the previous year's postseason, which lingered throughout the 2025-26 season. Regardless of what truly went down, the Nuggets will certainly miss Watson's presence on both ends of the court moving forward.