ESPN’s latest preseason watch list has put a spotlight on one name in Cleveland: Peyton Watson.
With training camps underway, the Cavaliers are one of the teams drawing attention, and the question hanging over them is whether Watson can be the piece that helps raise their ceiling. Coach Kenny Atkinson has not made anything official, but many around the team expect Watson to land the fifth starting spot alongside Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
That fifth spot has been a revolving door for Cleveland. Jamal Collier noted that the Cavaliers have long been built around four entrenched starters - Mobley and Allen up front, Mitchell and now Harden in the backcourt after a midseason exchange for Darius Garland - while the final opening has bounced between Dean Wade, Max Strus and De’Andre Hunter. None of them, ESPN wrote, has been able to lift the lineup to another level.
The Cavaliers are coming off a run to the Eastern Conference finals and are clearly aiming to go farther this season. They had initially hoped LeBron James would come back, but Watson gives them a different kind of answer: a player 20 years younger than LeBron and, at this point, more athletic.
That athleticism and defensive ability at the wing spot is the appeal here, and Watson is being viewed as someone on the rise. Collier pointed to the 24-year-old’s best season with the Nuggets and said he has a chance to help push Cleveland further if his improved 3-point shooting holds up alongside what he already brings on defense.
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Smith has stayed in the public eye since his playing days ended, most recently by finishing his college golf career at North Carolina A&T. For a player who went from NBA champion to a new chapter in athletics, the sudden legal trouble adds an unsettling twist, and the situation is one that will continue to draw attention as it develops. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Camp Already Has Fans Talking About Mario Hezonja's New Look
Training camp is only just underway for the Cavaliers, but one of the early talking points has been Mario Hezonjas arrival after his return to the NBA from overseas. Cleveland brought in Hezonja along with Peyton Watson in a sign-and-trade with the Denver Nuggets, giving the group a couple of new faces to sort through as it begins preparing for the 2026-27 season.
Jarrett Allen already noticed the difference, and Hezonja has also been open about the mindset that brought him back to the league. For a Cavs team trying to blend returning pieces with newcomers, those little first impressions matter, especially when a veteran newcomer shows up looking like he spent his time away sharpening every part of his game. [Read more 🡒]
Donovan Mitchell Is Already Seeing Why This Cavs Addition Matters
Training camp has only just opened for the Cavaliers, but Peyton Watson is already drawing attention as one of the new faces on a roster that wants to tighten up the small forward spot. Acquired from the Denver Nuggets in a trade, Watson arrives with the kind of size and defensive background Cleveland has been looking to add, and Donovan Mitchell has already noticed those traits as the team settles in for the 2026-27 season.
Mitchell, who re-signed with Cleveland this summer, has had a front-row view of how Watson fits into the mix, and the early read is encouraging for a team trying to sharpen its edge before the opener against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 22. The Cavs do not need Watson to be everything right away, but they do need his blend of length, activity and playoff-tested experience to matter in a rotation that is still coming together. [Read more 🡒]