With much of the dust already settled on the free-agent market, the Nuggets made their move Thursday for one of the top names left on the shelf.

They agreed to sign Memphis point guard Earl Watson to a five-year deal believed to be worth about $29.3 million. The Nuggets also retained shooting guards Greg Buckner and DerMarr Johnson with one-year contracts.

Denver was rarely mentioned publicly close to Watson's name as Cleveland, Utah, Minnesota and others reportedly eyed him. But agent Dan Fegan said the Nuggets made early contact with him and separated themselves with a "consistent and professional" approach.

Fegan also listed coach George Karl as a draw, saying, "He's an expert at exploiting mismatches and he's always found ways to use talented players. A case in point is how they finished (last) season. Since George took over they had the best record in the NBA."