The Cavaliers still have a hole to fill after coming up four wins short of the NBA Finals last season, and this summer’s search for a difference-maker has already taken a turn. Cleveland wanted LeBron James as the big finishing piece, but after he agreed to join the Philadelphia 76ers, the front office has had to pivot.
That search has led the Cavs to a few familiar names. DeMar DeRozan and Jonathan Kuminga are already on their radar, but according to insider Chris Fedor, Peyton Watson has also entered the conversation - and Cleveland is seriously looking at him.
“What’s available right now in free agency is not very appealing, but there is DeMar DeRozan, there is Jonathan Kuminga, and there is Peyton Watson. They have interest in all three, including Peyton Watson.
Two of the three become a little bit more complicated,” said Chris Fedor. “With Jonathan Kuminga and Peyton Watson, it’s very, very different from the Cavs’ perspective, and I think both are really, really complicated for a variety of reasons.”
Watson’s appeal is easy to see. Last season, he averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game, and he started 40 of the 54 games he played for Denver. Even in a supporting role, he gave the Nuggets real value on the wing, which is exactly why they would rather keep him than let him go.
The catch is money. Watson is seeking about $25 million per year on his next deal, and that runs straight into Denver’s hard-cap-second-apron situation.
The Nuggets already have $140 million committed to Jokic, Murray, and Gordon, which leaves Watson in a brutal spot. Denver can’t really afford to lose him for nothing, but it also can’t meet his asking price.
That has opened the door for other teams. The Lakers have already been among those to explore a move, though Denver’s initial asking price scared off plenty of interest. More recently, the Nuggets lowered that demand to one high-level rotation player and one first-round pick, but no team has stepped up yet.
For Cleveland, the path is even trickier. If Watson doesn’t take a 1-year, $6.5 million qualifying offer next season, the realistic route is a sign-and-trade. And to avoid surrendering a major piece like Jarrett Allen, the Cavaliers would probably have to bring in a third team and part with assets such as Max Strus and draft picks.
It would be a complicated gamble, but Watson fits what Cleveland needs. In theory, he could step into the starting small forward role and round out a lineup that already includes Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.
For now, the situation remains unresolved. Watson has months before training camp and appears willing to wait until he gets what he wants, even if that means pushing his way out of Denver. The Cavs may view him as the kind of role player worth chasing, but under the NBA’s new CBA, getting the deal done is another matter entirely.
In Other News...
Nuggets May Face A Brutal Choice On One Promising Young Wing
Jonathan Kumingas restricted free agency is already drawing plenty of attention, with the Cavaliers and Lakers both in the mix and Cleveland planning a meeting to explore a sign-and-trade. Kuminga is reportedly looking for a deal that tops $20 million annually, which has pushed the market into territory where teams are weighing not just talent, but fit, cost and the ripple effects of any move they make.
For Denver, the more uncomfortable part is that Watsons name has started to surface in the same kind of trade chatter. The young wing is expected to command an $80 million contract, and while that kind of commitment reflects real belief in his upside, it also puts the Nuggets in the middle of a decision that could force them to choose between keeping a promising piece and navigating the realities of a pricey roster. [Read more 🡒]
Christian Braun Is Suddenly Caught In Denvers Biggest Wing Debate
Christian Braun was supposed to be part of Denvers wing solution, not the latest reason the position feels unsettled. He signed a five-year extension last October, a move that signaled real confidence in his long-term fit, but his play has dipped since then and the scrutiny around him has only grown as the Nuggets sort through the rest of their wing rotation.
Peyton Watsons contract situation has only sharpened the focus on Braun, because Denver may be forced to make a call on how it wants to build that part of the roster. For Braun, the timing is awkward and the pressure is obvious: the money is in place, the expectations are higher, and the Nuggets need more from him if he is going to quiet the debate that has suddenly landed on his shoulders. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets May Have Finally Found An Answer To Their Biggest Defensive Flaw
The Nuggets have spent the past two seasons trying to patch a defensive rating problem that showed up again in the playoffs, and this summer they added a player whose value is supposed to come on the less glamorous end of the floor. The hope is that a rookie free agent with a reputation for perimeter defense can give Denver a different kind of lineup option, one that helps the team survive against quicker guards, bigger wings and the constant pick-and-roll stress that has made life difficult.
His track record overseas suggests there is real reason to believe in the fit, even if the offensive side of the equation is still a work in progress. Denver is betting that Nikola Jokic can smooth over those limitations by creating easy looks, while the real test will be whether this new defensive piece can handle the kind of assignments the Nuggets have lacked when games tighten and matchups start to dictate everything. [Read more 🡒]