Peyton Watson

Watson was born on Sep. 11, 2002, in Beverly Hills, California. He attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California, joining the varsity team as a freshman. He would gain a key role with the team as a junior, where he averaged 23.2 points and 8.0 per game, earning Moore League MVP honors. Watson was named to the rosters for the McDonald's All-American, Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit. He 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 over offers from Arizona, Gonzaga, Michigan, Oregon and Washington. As a freshman, he was joining an experienced UCLA group with all five starters returning after advancing to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament. As a result, his playing time was sporadic and his role was very reduced compared to high school. However, he did receive an honorable mention for the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team, averaging 3.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 12.6 minutes per game. After the season, Watson declared for the 2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility. He was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 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.