Just like the Golden State Warriors with Jonathan Kuminga 12 months ago, the Denver Nuggets are facing a difficult situation with young forward Peyton Watson who remains a restricted free agent over a month since the window opened.
There appears to be no imminent resolution on Watson's restricted free agency saga, but former Warrior guard Ryan Rollins presents as an obvious solution if the Nuggets are open to a sign-and-trade with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Nuggets could acquire former Warrior Ryan Rollins in sign-and-trade
The Bucks are strongly interested in a Watson sign-and-trade and are arguably the leading suitor among a group of teams that includes the Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Clippers, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Milwaukee are thus far unwilling to send out a first-round pick in a sign-and-trade, but relinquishing Rollins could thread the needle to appease the Nuggets in a deal despite their intent to keep Watson if possible.
According to Sam Quinn of Third Apron, Rollins would be a very helpful addition to the Nuggets in a deal after a career-best year where he generated Most Improved Player buzz early on.
"The Nuggets badly need more ball-handling. Ryan Rollins would help. He's a fine defender, like he could play next to Jamal Murray and you'd be okay. I'd rather just keep Peyton Watson, but if you're going to trade Peyton Watson, getting Ryan Rollins back would be pretty helpful," Quinn said.
Rollins averaged 17.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.5 steals in an impressive fourth season, shooting 47.2% from the floor and 40.8% from 3-point range. The young guard went for 32 points and eight assists against the Warriors in an October 30 victory without two-time MVP and the now departed Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Warriors regret trading Ryan Rollins after rookie year
There haven't been too many players Golden State have moved on from in recent years that have gone onto make them truly regret it. Rollins is one of the rare ones though, having been drafted by the Warriors with the 44th overall pick back in 2022.
Golden State moved on from Rollins after only 12 games during an injury-plagued rookie year, trading him to the Washington Wizards in the deal centered around Chris Paul and Jordan Poole. After a forgettable time in Washington that included an off-court issue, the 24-year-old has taken off in Milwaukee after initially joining the franchise on a two-way contract.
Much of Rollins' value stems from his incredibly team-friendly $4 million salary, and only time will tell if the Nuggets have enough interest to part ways with Watson knowing they'll have to give Rollins a big pay rise to retain him. It's also unclear whether the Bucks are even willing to include him in a sign-and-trade to begin with.
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