“To see him improve is what I expected.”

That was Jamal Murray today discussing Peyton Watson, who has taken a leap in an expanded role in the Denver Nuggets starting lineup.

In seven games as a starter this season, Watson has tripled his scoring production, going from 5.0 points per game in 10 games off the bench to 16.6 points per game in the starting group. Playing next to Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray more consistently has its perks, and Watson is taking full advantage of the opportunity.

“I got no better people to learn from than Jok and Jamal,” Watson declared of his recent breakout. “They go out there consistently, produce, and put up numbers every night — and they look at it as another day in the office.”

“It’s exciting times for me and my family because this is a new experience for us. But I’m trying to approach it the same way [Jokic and Murray] do, because at any time things could go the other way. So I’m just trying to take it with humility.”

With Christian Braun out for a significant period of time, head coach David Adelman had an opportunity early on to state that the Nuggets would decide their starters game by game, playing matchup basketball from night to night. That wasn’t the case though, with Adelman declaring Watson would get the opportunity to run with the spot.

And my how he has taken off.

A 32-point, 12-rebound career night from Watson against the New Orleans Pelicans last night emphasized the high ceiling to Watson’s game. He’s a noted defender with some ball handling and playmaking skills, but adding in more consistent scoring and rebounding takes Watson from a rotation player to a ROTATION player.

Watson’s shown that all-around ability, not just in one game, but several of the games since. Last Monday, the Grizzlies dared Watson to beat them as a scorer and gave up 22 shots to the young wing. Watson responded with 27 points, improving as the game went on, and punishing the Grizzlies for their shaky coverage.

Every game, Watson is thrust into new spots and is faced with new challenges. The Nuggets are helping him navigate that path.

“He’s always been such a willing learner and goes out there with passion,” Murray declared. “As he gets more comfortable taking that many shots and seeing the ball go through the hoop, it’s just going to unlock his game.”

To be clear, Aaron Gordon missing games has also afforded Watson an opportunity. Though Spencer Jones is the one starting at power forward at the moment, more shot attempts, opportunities to create offense, and repetitions within the offense next to Jokic and Murray have been invaluable for Watson.

“Peyton’s special gift is the way he guards. He’s got really tough responsibilities, matchups every night against guys who are paid a lot of money because they’re really good,” Adelman stated plainly on Wednesday. “That’s going to be his job. If he can score and pass and make plays offensively, that’s the cherry on top. I expect him to bring great energy defensively and rebound the ball.”

The Nuggets have always viewed Watson as more of a role player with role player skills. He has the capacity to do more, but on a team with extensive talent, creators at every position, and efficient shooters, it’s not often that Watson sees so many shots.

And it couldn’t have come at a better time for Watson personally. Heading into his fourth season, the Nuggets had an opportunity to sign Watson to a contract extension and keep him off of the restricted free agency market in the upcoming summer of 2026. The Nuggets signed Braun to a $25 million per year contract. They didn’t agree to terms with Watson.

Recently, Watson also announced that he had switched agents. After spending the first three years of his career with Excel Sports (who also manage Jokic, Murray, and several other players on the Nuggets roster), Watson switched to Klutch Sports, founded by LeBron James’ agent and partner Rich Paul.

“It was just a business decision on our side,” Watson indicated about the switch. “Klutch shows so much love and attention to detail — it’s really next-level. We’re excited to start that path.”

Watson has been represented by Klutch in the past, sharing that they helped him navigate his NIL deal heading into college at UCLA. Many fans see this switch as an automatic indicator that Watson is leaving the Nuggets at the end of the year, but that just isn’t reasonable as a take. Aaron Gordon has been with Klutch for a significant period of time, and his relationship with the Nuggets has been great for a long time, perhaps the best of anyone.

Watson and those closest to him know that after the rookie extension window passed, there would be limited opportunities to show what he can do. Having a new agency, a fresh perspective, and a goal in mind is pretty common around these times. Watson wants to navigate it as best he can, and he knows he’s been given an opportunity to show his worth.

“There’s a big opportunity at hand this year for me on the court, and that’s what I’m taking the most seriously. That’s going to make my agent’s job easier if I’m doing what I’m supposed to do.”

It’s a credit to Adelman and the Nuggets coaching staff for not standing in the way of that growth either. Watson playing better and better will make him more expensive in the long term, and thus more likely for the Nuggets to lose him due to financial constraints. Other teams might have buried their young player in a contract year to try and repress his value, but the Nuggets are doing the opposite…right now.

When Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon inevitably return some time in the next month to six weeks, difficult questions will reemerge ahead of the 2026 NBA Trade Deadline. Watson will presumably go back to the bench in 2026, though his time as a starter (albeit a small sample size) has shown he has the talent and potential impact to be a starter in the NBA.

How will that affect things? Can the Nuggets continue to afford Watson opportunities to play extended minutes when the rotation gets back to full strength? The version of Watson that averages nearly 17 points per game as a starter is much more relaxed, confident, and comfortable than the one trying to make an impact in fewer minutes off the bench. Such can be said about many players that play next to Nikola Jokic, but with a 23-year-old Watson, the Nuggets must take the long view.

The future around Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray remains unknowable. Many analysts think they know what’s best and know what’s going to happen, but what if Aaron Gordon continues to suffer nagging injuries? What if Christian Braun never fully embraces the need to be a three-point floor spacer? What if Watson continues to grow and continues to turn his immense potential into production and impact?

There’s a world where Watson is the Nuggets’ third or fourth best player by 2027. There’s also a world where Watson reverts back to bench player status and never rediscovers an opportunity like this again.

The dynamics at play here are incredibly interesting. Watson and his new agency are obviously hoping for the former. They will want to see this opportunity through, and they will be able to show other teams the production Watson has put together as a bit of an audition tape for a larger contract in a starting role for a developing team. Will a team be willing to take that chance in the offseason? We will see.

Watson has long been seen as a project by Nuggets fans. When he was drafted by Calvin Booth back in 2022, the pick was met with skepticism. Over three years, Watson showed the pick was justified with his talent and versatility on the defensive end, but it wasn’t until recently that the “project” emphasis was lifted for me.

Watson is now an NBA caliber rotation player. He has enough skills on both ends of the floor to survive and even thrive. It used to be almost entirely potential, but the production has increased and become consistent enough for everyone to see clearly.

What does that mean for Watson’s future? Who knows? For now, Watson is doing everything he can to go about this the right way. He believes in himself, and that confidence is evident at all times. Rather than flaunt it, Watson is buying into what the Nuggets are asking him to do, and it’s paying dividends.

Let’s see if that continues when Denver gets healthy and the rotation gets rather crowded again.