The Cavaliers made a clear bet this offseason: add more athleticism on the wing and see if the roster looks faster, longer and more dangerous because of it. Eleven games into the season, that gamble is still being sorted out.
And from the outside, not everyone is convinced Cleveland came out ahead.
In a conversation with Eric Pincus of Casino.org, an Eastern Conference executive took aim at the Cavs’ decision to move from Dean Wade to Peyton Watson.
“Wade is way underrated. And Watson is just the optics,” the executive told Pincus.
That’s a sharp line, and it lands because Wade’s value has always been the kind that doesn’t jump off the page. Pincus pointed to Wade’s defense, his quick processing and his willingness to keep the ball moving.
In Philadelphia, he’s taking just three shots per game while still logging 24.4 minutes a night. Watson, by contrast, is still settling in with Cleveland and is shooting 21.6% from three.
The bigger issue, though, isn’t a simple talent comparison. It’s fit.
The Cavs already have plenty of mouths to feed with Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the mix. That makes the low-usage connector especially valuable - the kind of player who can defend, rebound and keep a possession alive without needing the offense built around him. Wade filled that role, even if it didn’t always show up in loud numbers.
None of that explains away Cleveland’s 5-6 start by itself. The problems have been broader than one roster decision, and Monday’s loss to the Hornets brought back the same old issues with rebounding and defensive breakdowns.
Pincus also relayed that one executive believes the doubts that surfaced during last season’s playoffs have followed the Cavs into this year. That’s an outside read, not proof of a locker room problem, but it does speak to how uneven Cleveland has looked.
For now, the sense around the team is that Kenny Atkinson isn’t in immediate danger. There’s still room to tinker with rotations and roles before anything more drastic comes into play.
The challenge now is twofold: get Watson comfortable, and figure out how to replace the quieter, less flashy things Wade used to provide.
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