Cavaliers' Peyton Watson Gets Honest on Lakers Interest in Free Agency

Coming into the new NBA year, the Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to prove themselves in the loaded Eastern Conference once again this season.

This group was able to reach the conference finals a year ago, but they were swept out by the eventual NBA champions, the New York Knicks. Cleveland will now be looking to get back to that same place, but this time to change the outcome.

Over the offseason, the Cavaliers did add some extra pieces to the roster, with the big one being forward Peyton Watson. Watson comes over from the Denver Nuggets, signing a massive four-year, $88 million deal with Cleveland.

The Cavaliers had to battle multiple other teams for the defensive forward, including the Los Angeles Lakers. While the Lakers never had a strong chance to land Watson, the team did have interest in trying to land him over the offseason.

Watson is from Southern California, and he would have fit the Lakers' new roster very well. But the forward lands in Cleveland, and he will be looking to help the Cavaliers go after a title this season.

During the Cavaliers' training camp, Watson opened up on the pursuit from his hometown team. But the forward also said that he is very happy to be with the Cavaliers, saying that he is committed to the team after going through his restricted free-agency journey.

Watson now gives the Cavaliers a legitimate defensive wing that they can throw out against opposing teams' best players. Cleveland already has a strong presence in the middle of the paint with centers Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.

But Watson adds to this, giving the Cavaliers one of the strongest defensive units in the entire NBA. If the forward can play up to par, Cleveland could be very tough to score against, and he helps mask some defensive limitations from stars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden as well.

Watson is a prototypical three-and-D type of player, and he has improved his shooting since entering into the league a few years ago. Last season, Watson shot 41.1 percent from beyond the arc, playing in 54 games for the Nuggets.

If he is able to generate this type of shooting with Cleveland, the Cavaliers offense could take off even more. The forward should be getting all sorts of good shot attempts, playing alongside Mitchell and Harden throughout the year.

This signing was made strictly to help out both sides of the floor, and Watson is ready to prove himself this year. Watson adds to the overall ceiling of this team going forward, and the Cavaliers are very eager to start the new season.