The Cleveland Cavaliers are using training camp to do more than just get up shots and run sets. Between the workouts and practice sessions, the team has also been leaning into activities meant to build chemistry and camaraderie, with the goal of tightening the connections that will matter once the season starts.
That backdrop makes Kenny Atkinson’s comments about Peyton Watson even more interesting. When asked what he had seen from the wing in camp, the Cavs head coach pointed to a few things, including one detail that stood out most.
Atkinson said Watson has been “SUPER ACTIVE.”
That kind of early praise fits with the buzz Watson has already generated since arriving in Cleveland. The former Denver Nugget comes in off a breakout 2025-26 season, one that put his name firmly on the radar. He averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.1 blocks while shooting roughly 49.1% from the field and 41.1% from 3-point range.
His shooting numbers were especially strong from the corners, where he hit 52% of his looks and ranked in the 97th percentile among wings. He also thrived as a catch-and-shoot option, converting 46.8% of those chances.
Watson’s biggest stretch came in January, when he took on a much larger role and delivered like a real featured piece. During that month, he posted 21.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steal, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 49.0% overall and 46.2% from beyond the arc.
With Nikola Jokic missing all but one game that month, Watson essentially functioned as Denver’s second option. That run helped put him on the map for a lot of NBA fans and got plenty of people around the league talking.
Now the Cavaliers are hoping that version of Watson can carry over to Cleveland. The organization has clearly placed a lot of trust in him, and the steady stream of positive reports from the coaching staff has only added to the anticipation around what he can bring.
In Other News...
Jarrett Allen Trade Buzz Puts The Cavs In A Tough Spot
Jarrett Allens name keeps surfacing whenever the Cavaliers are mentioned in trade conversation, but the center isnt pretending the noise is going away anytime soon. He addressed the speculation this week and struck a calm tone, saying he knows how the business works while keeping his focus on continuing to be the best player he can be. For Cleveland, it is another reminder of how valuable Allen has become on both ends of the floor after a strong season in which he helped stabilize the paint and gave the offense a reliable interior presence.
The Cavs also have little reason to treat this as a simple roster note. Allen remains one of the most important pieces of their identity, and the organization appears to recognize the impact he has had. Even so, trade chatter tends to hang around productive big men, especially when teams are trying to balance present-day competitiveness with long-term flexibility, and that leaves Cleveland in a familiar spot: appreciating what Allen brings while trying to navigate the market around him. [Read more 🡒]
Peyton Watson Showed Exactly What The Cavs Have Been Missing
Peyton Watson flashed the kind of two-way energy the Cavaliers can always use in a preseason meeting with the Orlando Magic, giving Cleveland a reminder of how valuable a defense-first wing can be. He finished with 10 points, four rebounds and two blocks while staying active around the rim, the sort of low-usage, high-impact contribution that tends to matter when rotations tighten.
Watsons best moment came on a putback dunk that underscored his length and burst, the kind of play that turns heads even in October. For a team still sorting out complementary pieces around its core, the appeal is obvious: not every addition needs a big scoring role, but Cleveland can use more players who bring hustle, athleticism and real defensive upside every night. [Read more 🡒]
Mario Hezonja Is Making The Cavs Rotation Battle A Lot Harder To Ignore
Mario Hezonjas preseason with the Cavaliers has done more than just get his name back into the conversation. After spending the past several years away from the NBA, the veteran forward has looked comfortable enough in Clevelands exhibition slate to make the staff pay attention, especially with a stretch of back-to-back double-digit scoring games and a dependable look from three-point range. For a team sorting out its frontcourt mix, that kind of showing matters.
Hezonja is still working through the adjustment from the EuroLeagues rhythm to the NBAs faster pace, and that learning curve is part of why this has become such an interesting camp storyline. He has not appeared in an NBA game since 2020, yet he now looks like a real candidate to be in the opening-night rotation, which makes the battle for minutes around the power forward spot a little more crowded than it seemed a week ago. [Read more 🡒]