Peyton Watson

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Peyton Watson
File:Peyton Watson.jpg
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 21)
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 / Round: 1 / Pick: 30th overall
Selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder
Playing career 2022–present
Career history
2022–present Denver Nuggets
2022 Grand Rapids Gold
Career highlights and awards

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.

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]

Name Home town 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 
Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 94
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 12  247Sports: 8  ESPN: 12
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN 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:

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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 3-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 2022 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]

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

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]

References

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External links