A four-team NBA trade idea from Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report would send Peyton Watson out of Denver and land him in Cleveland, with the Nuggets, Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Clippers all involved in the framework.
In Swartz’s proposal, the Cavaliers would get Watson, though the deal would need to be structured as a sign-and-trade because Watson is a restricted free agent.
Watson put together a strong season for Denver, averaging 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 49.1% from the field, 41.1% from 3-point range and 73.0% from the free-throw line. The piece describes him as one of the best two-way wings in the NBA.
For Cleveland, the idea comes after the team missed out on LeBron James, who signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. Swartz’s scenario has the Cavaliers re-signing James Harden, which would allow head coach Kenny Atkinson to roll out a starting five of Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Watson, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen next season.
Mitchell remains the centerpiece of Cleveland’s offseason. The Cavaliers signed him to a four-year, $273 million maximum contract extension, and the seven-time All-Star has been productive since arriving from the Utah Jazz in 2022. He is averaging 26.7 points per game in the regular season and 27.3 points per game in the playoffs as a Cavalier.
Last season, Mitchell helped lead Cleveland to the Eastern Conference Finals. It was the first time the Cavaliers had reached the conference finals since 1992 without LeBron, but the New York Knicks swept them en route to winning the championship against the San Antonio Spurs.
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