The Cavaliers are still hunting for wing help, and the list of names they’re circling has started to take shape.
Jonathan Kuminga has already been tied to Cleveland, but that’s not the only route the team is exploring. Chris Fedor of cleveland.com said on the Wind and Gold Talk podcast that the Cavs have also expressed interest in Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson and forward DeMar DeRozan. “I’m told the Cavs have expressed interest in all three of those guys,” Fedor said.
DeRozan looks like the cleanest path of the three. He’s an unrestricted free agent, and he’s been viewed around the league as a fallback option for teams that missed out on James.
Watson is a different kind of swing. Like Kuminga, he would likely require Cleveland to give up assets in a trade, and the most realistic route would be a sign-and-trade.
That could mean parting with someone like Jarrett Allen, which is where things get complicated for the Cavs. Cleveland has been very reluctant to move Allen unless the return is a clear difference-maker, and Watson, while coming off a strong season, may not fit that bill.
There’s also the money side of it. Marc Stein reported via his Substack that Denver has offered Watson an extension in the $16-$18 million range per year, a number that falls short of what Watson is seeking. Allen, meanwhile, signed a three-year, $91 million extension with Cleveland in 2024 and is set to make $28 million next season before his salary climbs to just over $30 million and $32 million over the following two years.
The Hawks have also been linked to Allen, but Cleveland would need more than just Kuminga to seriously consider moving him. A deal sending Allen to Denver or Atlanta looks unlikely unless the Cavs can come out of it clearly better while also committing future money to Watson or Kuminga.
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This Three Team Trade Idea Could Fix Multiple Cavs Problems Fast
The Cavaliers are still combing through trade ideas as they look for ways to add size, depth and a little more flexibility to the roster. One proposed three-team framework would send out a couple of guards and a shooter, with the goal of reshaping the back end of the rotation while keeping the teams books manageable enough to keep pursuing other moves.
What makes the concept interesting from Clevelands side is that it is not just about collecting bodies, but about fitting a broader roster plan. The idea would trim a bit of salary, help the Cavs stay under apron thresholds and preserve room for more maneuvering, which matters if they want to keep working the market instead of treating one deal as the final step. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Rumor Suddenly Pulls Cavaliers Into Another Star Chase
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For Cleveland, the latest wrinkle is less about Miamis ambitions than the way those ambitions keep dragging the Cavaliers into the conversation. The Heats search for perimeter firepower has put more attention on a possible sign-and-trade path, and that sort of rumor always has a way of forcing rival front offices to think through roster fits, salary structure and whether a star chase can realistically be pulled off. Even with Miami focused on Klay Thompson as a shooting target, the idea of another major move hanging over the league keeps the Cavaliers in a familiar spot: close enough to the rumor mill to matter, but still waiting to see where the next domino falls. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Fans Just Got A Telling Jonathan Kuminga Update
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The bigger picture still has plenty of moving parts, with the Lakers trying to work through a sign-and-trade arrangement and the process dragging along without much momentum. For Cleveland, the important part is less about the exact mechanics elsewhere and more about what their own roster move might mean for how aggressively they intended to stay involved in the first place. [Read more 🡒]