Former Denver Nuggets wing Peyton Watson has bid farwell to the city and organization following his trade.
The Denver Nuggets recently shook things up when they sent Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of a big trade. The Nuggets have since pivoted by signing veteran guard DeMar DeRozan, as there are now fewer than two months to go until the upcoming season.
Now, Watson has taken to his account on Instagram to pen a heartfelt goodbye to the city of Denver.
“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 added.
Watson had a breakout year last season for the Nuggets, taking full advantage of his increased playing time during Nikola Jokic’s injury absence and turning into a legit two-way force for Denver, showing an increased perimeter jump-shooting ability, as well as no hesitation to create his own offense on occasion.
The Nuggets are seemingly in dire need of players just like Watson, who provide size and athleticism on the wing, both of which the team was missing in their first-round playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, which Watson missed due to injury.
However, the Nuggets’ sketchy financial situation ultimately led the team to trade Watson, and now they will hope that DeRozan’s veteran scoring ability and leadership will make up the difference.
In any case, the Nuggets are set to kick off their new season on October 22 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Denver Nuggets recently shook things up when they sent Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of a big trade. The Nuggets have since pivoted by signing veteran guard DeMar DeRozan, as there are now fewer than two months to go until the upcoming season. Now, Watson has taken to his account on Instagram to pen a heartfelt goodbye to the city of Denver.