Lakers, Peyton Watson might've just been given a fun hint at free agent partnership
· Yahoo Sports
Lakers, Peyton Watson might've just been given a fun hint at free agent partnership originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
There's been a lot of speculation on the Los Angeles Lakers adding a starting forward this offseason, and Jonathan Kuminga's name has come up often.
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What about Peyton Watson?
The speculation has quickly gone full steam ahead after Watson was seen hugging the Lakers' Rob Pelinka in Las Vegas at NBA Summer League on Friday night:
Rob Pelinka and Peyton Watson 👀 pic.twitter.com/cuhnNhoFPo
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) July 11, 2026
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Pelinka has lots of connections around the league, and Watson also played his college ball in L.A. at UCLA, so there are a lot of ways they could know each other that have nothing to do with Watson joining the Lakers.
But there's at least a chance it could happen.
At the moment, Watson is a restricted free agent. That means that his Denver Nuggets are able to match any offer sheet given to him.
The Lakers, in concept, could also try to negotiate a sign-and-trade, where the Nuggets officially sign Watson, then send him to L.A. for an asset in return.
Los Angeles has been busy this offseason, but with LeBron James off the books, they're trying to make the most of improving their roster.
Watson is a young, athletic player coming off a career season, and he'd be a fantastic boost to the Lakers in both the near-term and the longer-term.
What did Watson and Pelinka talk about at Summer League? If Lakers fans ever actually get to find that out, it might be good news.
There's also the obvious chance this video goes by the wayside and means nothing. But NBA social media sleuths will keep searching for links, just in case.