His playmaking and size around the rim became focal points of the Nuggets offensive attack. He was playing with a tenacity and freedom on both ends of the court that was absent in his debut. Suddenly, he was forcing the Cavaliers to play offense on only one side of the court because his length and athleticism had eliminated any chance of productive offense if he was within one step of the action.
Yes, on Sunday night Watson still had turnover issues, he missed defensive rotations, he rushed possessions and he had moments of bad decision making, but in addition to his shortcomings, all of the skills that made him such a tantalizing prospect for the Nuggets finally revealed themselves as well. With that being said, everything flipped for Watson in Denver’s second game of Summer League. He was timid on both ends of the court, would get sped up, made bad decisions and was unable to showcase just how many gifts he has to give on a basketball court. He was originally drafted by the Nuggets with the 51 st pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.After Denver Nuggets first round pick Peyton Watson struggled in the first game of Summer League, it was clear just how far he still had to go as a player before he could contribute to the Nuggets ultimate goal of winning an NBA title. Morris also appeared in 48 playoff games (10 starts) for the Nuggets, averaging 9.5 points, 3.5 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 22.3 minutes. In his Nuggets career, he dished out 1042 assists and only 218 turnovers. Morris, 27, played in 280 games (105 starts) over five seasons for Denver, holding career averages of 10.5 points, 3.7 assists and 2.0 rebounds while shooting 48.1% from the field and 39.4% from three in 25.2 minutes per game. Barton was acquired via trade from Portland in 2015 and leaves Denver as the franchise leader in three-point field goals (804). He also played in 29 playoff games (nine starts), averaging 11.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 26.5 minutes. Smith was originally undrafted in the 2010 NBA draft after playing four seasons at Wake Forest.īarton, 31, appeared in 479 games (279 starts) for the Nuggets over eight seasons, averaging 14.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 43.3% from the field in 30.4 minutes per game. He holds career averages of 7.6 points, 3.9 assists and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 43.0% from the field and 32.5% from three.
Smith, 34, has played in 719 games (167 starts) over his 12-year career with Houston, Memphis, Golden State, Orlando, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Detroit, Washington and Charlotte. The nine-year NBA veteran was originally selected with the eighth overall selection in the 2013 NBA Draft by Detroit after spending two seasons at the University of Georgia.
Caldwell-Pope was an integral part to the Lakers championship run in 2020, playing in 21 games (all starts), averaging 10.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 29.0 minutes per game. Lakers and Washington, holding career averages of 11.6 points, 3.1 rebounds 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 42.1% from the field and 36.0% from three in 29.2 minutes per game. He averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 71 appearances.Ĭaldwell-Pope, 29, is 6-5 and compiled averages of 13.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 77 games last season.Īnd Smith, 33, is 6-0 and appeared in 65 games, averaging 6.3 points and 3.8 assists.Ĭaldwell-Pope, 29, has appeared in 683 career games (541 starts) for Detroit, L.A. He is likely to be an immediate starter next to Beal and Kristaps Porzingis.īarton, 31, is 6-6 and plays everywhere from small forward to point guard. Morris, 27, is 6-foot-2 and appeared in 75 games last season with the Nuggets, averaging 12.6 points, 4.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds. If Smith plays even one game for the Nuggets, he will have set the record for number of NBA teams by one player with 13, per researcher Matt Williams of the Wizards. The Nuggets are also expected to see the return of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Meanwhile, Denver is getting more experience in its own backcourt, with Caldwell-Pope offering additional outside shooting. Theoretically, both Morris and Barton will be able to help immediate with ballhandling and facilitating duties, while proving capable of scoring themselves. Washington has been on the lookout for help in the backcourt, after agreeing to a maximum contract with Bradley Beal. New Nuggets head of basketball operations Calvin Booth confirmed the trade in a press release. The Nuggets have announce their four-player trade with the Wizards, in which Denver acquired guards Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith in exchange for guard Monte Morris and guard/forward Will Barton, who are on their way to Washington.