Peyton Watson isn’t easing into his Cleveland run with soft language or soft expectations. Three days before the Cavaliers’ regular-season opener, the new addition made it clear he believes the job starts with edge - and with the idea that opponents are circling this team.
Cleveland opens on Oct. 22 in Philadelphia, and Watson said that kind of challenge demands a harder approach from the jump.
"I used to go out there with a [mean] streak. I think go out there and try to kill, take no prisoners mentality," Watson said.
"I think that's my mentality, and that's something that I'll be echoing in the team, but there is no time for being nice and buddy-buddy with the opposition. I think the league is more competitive than ever, and there are guys going out there that are trying to take what you have, and they want what you have."
He doubled down on the idea that being viewed as a strong team comes with baggage.
"And I think being a good team is a blessing but also a curse, because [there's a target] on our backs as well," Watson continued. "We see that we're slated to be one of the better teams and we're slated to be a really strong roster, and they see that, and they say, 'I can't wait to play those guys.' And I think our mentality is we can't wait to play all that."
The outside view of Cleveland backs up that sense of expectation. Bleacher Report's preseason top 99 placed four Cavaliers inside the top 64, with Donovan Mitchell at No.
11, James Harden at No. 30, Evan Mobley at No. 32 and Jarrett Allen at No.
- Watson was slotted at No.
Even so, the NBA left Cleveland off its Christmas Day schedule after the Cavaliers played on the holiday last season. San Antonio, New York and Oklahoma City - the other three teams that made last season's conference finals - each landed a Christmas game.
Watson, who turned 24 in September, brings a resume that includes one season at UCLA, a 2022 draft night path that started with Oklahoma City selecting him 30th overall and then sending him to Denver for JaMychal Green and a protected 2027 first-round pick, and a title ring from his rookie year with the Nuggets in the 2023 Finals.
Last season, he averaged 8.1 points, 1.4 blocks and 0.7 steals in 24.4 minutes across 68 games. He also put up 1.1 blocks and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 49% from the field, 41% from 3-point range and 73% at the line. By the end of October 2025, RotoWire listed him with 24 career games of at least three blocks.
Beyond the production, Watson says he leans into the communication side of the game. That’s true on or off the ball, and it’s something he says he takes on himself.
"A lot, a lot, but I think we all do," Watson explained. "I think we all have a responsibility to have our brothers' back and for that trust to be there.
I take it upon myself, regardless if somebody told me I was responsible or not. That's just something that I like to do out there, is to make sure that everybody's on the same page."
That fits, he said, with what he has already seen in Cleveland.
"So I think that I fit in well here. This is a really player-led and player-driven team, and that's something that I'm not as used to," Watson added. "But it's very, very fun to be a part of, because you kind of get to talk the game out with the guys who are out there, and that matters a lot."
Watson arrived in August through a sign-and-trade with Denver on a four-year, $88 million deal after Cleveland was not among the first teams linked to him in restricted free agency. NBA.com reported that Milwaukee, Portland and the Los Angeles Clippers were also involved before the Cavaliers landed him.
He also comes into the season after a career-best scoring year, averaging 14.6 points last season. Watson started alongside Harden, Mitchell, Mobley and Allen in Cleveland’s preseason win over Orlando on Oct. 11.
Projections have the Cavaliers winning fewer games than they did a year ago, when they finished 52-30.
Philadelphia’s opener Tuesday at Madison Square Garden will come against the Knicks, who will raise their championship banner, before the 76ers host Cleveland at 7 p.m. ET Thursday on ESPN.
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