The Cavaliers have spent much of the offseason moving in the background, but that changed fast once Peyton Watson entered the picture. Cleveland had been chasing the 23-year-old NBA champion for weeks, and now it has finally pulled off the deal.
Watson lands in Cleveland as part of a five-team trade. According to Bleacher Report’s Joseph Rucker, “Denver is trading Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers and will receive Cleveland's 2031 first-round pick and a 2032 second-rounder from the Sacramento Kings.
The Cavs are sending Max Strus to the Los Angeles Clippers, which gives them the flexibility to sign Watson to a four-year, $88 million contract. There were multiple other minor moves involved to complete the deal, including the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets," Bleacher Report’s Joseph Rucker wrote.
That move didn’t even have time to settle before Cleveland added again. James Harden, who had opted out of his contract, is back on a new deal, giving the Cavaliers more firepower to work with. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported, “Free agent James Harden agreed to a new three-year, $97 million contract to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, with a player option for 2028-29 and a trade kicker, agents Mike Silverman, Troy Payne and Brandon Grier of Equity Sports told ESPN on Thursday,” ESPN’s Shams Charania wrote.
Even with those two additions, Cleveland may not be done. The roster still has room for another move or two, and one name now linked to the Cavaliers is another former Denver Nuggets champion: Bruce Brown.
“I heard veteran free agent Bruce Brown mentioned in connection to the Cavs,” Terry Pluto said during a recent appearance on the Scarlet To The Land podcast.
Brown would fit the kind of job Cleveland still seems to be looking for. He has spent most of his career leaning into a role-player assignment, and that kind of dependable bench presence is exactly what the Cavaliers could use.
Brown has earned $63 million in his career, and Cleveland’s recent flurry of moves suggests the front office is not slowing down now. After staying relatively quiet for much of the offseason, the Cavaliers are suddenly building momentum as they try to make a serious run at the Eastern Conference title this season after falling to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
In Other News...
Cavs Are Closing In On A Move That Changes Daily Life
The Cavaliers are getting ready for a significant shift in their day-to-day routine, with plans to move into the new Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center during the NBA All-Star break in February. Located downtown, the new facility is expected to be a major upgrade from the teams current practice site in Independence, giving the organization a much larger footprint and a more centralized home base for players and staff.
For a franchise that has spent years operating out of its suburban setup, the move changes more than just the commute. The downtown center is designed with multiple amenities in mind, while the old Independence facility is set for a different future as the training home of the Cleveland Sirens, the WNBA expansion team due to arrive in 2028. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Latest Roster Upgrade Came From A Twist Fans Didnt Expect
The Cavaliers latest roster shuffle came together in a way few around the league likely saw coming, with the club moving Dennis Schroder and landing Peyton Watson in a sign-and-trade with Denver that also sent Max Strus to the Clippers. It was the kind of multi-team business that can reshape a roster quickly, and for Cleveland it created a path to add a young, rangy piece without waiting around for the usual offseason market to settle.
The twist behind it is what makes the deal stand out. James Hardens decision to decline his player option and then sign a new deal later than expected gave the Cavaliers more cap flexibility than they anticipated, opening the door for the move to happen. Harden also reportedly recruited Watson to the team and has been active in workouts, adding an unexpected layer to a transaction that now looks less like a simple roster swap and more like a timely break that Cleveland was able to turn into an upgrade. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Suddenly Have A Real Path To The Easts Top Seed
Cleveland finished its offseason by adding James Harden and Peyton Watson, with Watson agreeing to a four-year deal, and the result is a roster that suddenly looks deeper and more athletic than it did a few weeks ago. The front office has also brought in players like Mario Hezonja, giving the Cavaliers more options on the wing and more ways to keep the rotation from thinning out over the course of the season.
For a team that has spent plenty of time trying to turn talent into consistency, the bigger question now is how quickly all of those pieces come together once the games start counting. The East does not leave much room for hesitation at the top, and Clevelands path to finishing first may end up depending as much on chemistry and fit as on star power or depth. [Read more 🡒]