Biography

BIOGRAPHY

Peyton Watson was born September 11, 2002 in Beverly Hills, California. He is a small forward in the NBA.

Watson attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California, joining the varsity team as a freshman. After coming off the bench earlier in his career, he assumed a leading role in his junior season. He averaged 23.2 points and eight rebounds per game, earning Moore League MVP honors. He was named to the rosters for the McDonald's All-American, Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit. 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. On July 27, 2020, he committed to playing college basketball for UCLA. He averaged 3.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 12.6 minutes per game, and made 32.2% of his field goals and 22.6% of his 3-pointers. After the season, Watson declared for the 2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.

Watson was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder in first round of the 2022 NBA draft with the 30th overall pick. 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. 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. Watson ended his rookie season as an NBA champion when the Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.