Peyton Watson

Peyton Tyler Watson (born September 11, 2002^[1]) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A McDonald's All-American in high school, he played one season of college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. Watson was selected in the first round of the 2022 NBA draft with the 30th overall pick.

Peyton Watson

Watson with UCLA in 2021
No. 8 – Denver Nuggets
Position	Shooting guard / small forward
League	NBA
Personal information
Born	(2002-09-11) September 11, 2002 (age 22) Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight	200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school	Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, California)
College	UCLA (2021–2022)
NBA draft	2022: 1st round, 30th overall pick
Drafted by	Oklahoma City Thunder
Playing career	2022–present
Career history
2022–present	Denver Nuggets
2022–2023	→Grand Rapids Gold
Career highlights and awards
NBA champion (2023) McDonald's All-American (2021)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference
Medals Men's basketball Representing  United States FIBA Under-19 World Cup 2021 Latvia Team

High school career

Watson attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California, joining the varsity team as a freshman.^[2] After coming off the bench earlier in his career,^[3] he assumed a leading role in his junior season.^[4] He averaged 23.2 points and eight rebounds per game,^[5] earning Moore League MVP honors.^[6] He was named to the rosters for the McDonald's All-American, Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit.^[7]

Recruiting

Watson was a consensus five-star recruit, one of the top small forwards and the highest-ranked player from California in the 2021 recruiting class.^[8] On July 27, 2020, he committed to playing college basketball for UCLA over offers from Arizona, Gonzaga, Michigan, Oregon and Washington.^[9] He was frank with the Bruins coaching staff that he intended to be a one-and-done player, leaving for the NBA after one year in college.^[10]

College recruiting information

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Peyton Watson SF	Long Beach, CA	Long Beach Poly (CA)	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Jul 27, 2020
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:   247Sports:   ESPN:   ESPN grade: 94
Recruit rankings:    Rivals: 12    247Sports: 8    ESPN: 12
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, ESPN, and On3 may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "UCLA 2021 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 17, 2021. "2021 UCLA Bruins Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 17, 2021. "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 17, 2021.

College career

As a freshman at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2021–22, Watson arrived out of shape, primarily due to his high school senior season being disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.^[10] He joined an experienced UCLA group that had advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament a year earlier.^[11] All five starters returned, and he received no guarantees about his playing time.^[12] Watson's defense was more advanced than his offense. However, the Bruins had other established scorers.^[11] He received honorable mention for the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team.^[13] He averaged 3.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 12.6 minutes per game, and made just 32.2% of his field goals and 22.6% of his three-pointers. His playing time was sporadic, and he logged 10 minutes or more in just two out of the last seven games of the season.^[14] After the season, Watson declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.^[15]

Professional career

Watson was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder in first round of the 2022 NBA draft with the 30th overall pick.^[16] He was then traded to the Denver Nuggets along with two future second-round picks for JaMychal Green and a 2027 protected first-round draft pick.^[17] Possessing a wide wingspan, Watson was projected as a long-term project and expected to spend time developing with the Grand Rapids Gold of the NBA G League.^[18] Watson ended his rookie season as an NBA champion when the Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

National team career

Watson represented the United States at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Latvia. He averaged four points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, helping his team win the gold medal.^[19]

Career statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high
†	Won an NBA championship

NBA

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2022–23†	Denver	23	2	8.1	.492	.429	.550	1.6	.5	.1	.5	3.3
2023–24	Denver	80	4	18.6	.465	.296	.670	3.2	1.1	.5	1.1	6.7
2024–25	Denver	68	18	24.4	.477	.353	.693	3.4	1.4	.7	1.4	8.1
Career		171	24	19.5	.472	.328	.673	3.1	1.1	.5	1.1	6.8

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2023†	Denver	5	0	2.7	.400	.500	—	.8	.2	.0	.2	1.0
2024	Denver	10	0	9.0	.250	.250	.500	1.5	.4	.0	.6	1.8
Career		15	0	6.9	.276	.286	.500	1.3	.3	.0	.5	1.5

College

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2021–22	UCLA	32	0	12.7	.322	.226	.688	2.9	.8	.6	.6	3.3

Source:^[20]

Personal life

Watson's father, Julio, is a medical device representative, and his mother is an event planner. He has a younger brother, Christian, who plays basketball at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, and a younger sister, Jolie Grace.^[21]