The Cleveland Cavaliers really want Peyton Watson.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the Cleveland Cavaliers want to sign Peyton Watson to a four-year contract.
Watson is a restricted free agent with the Denver Nuggets. The Cavaliers are trying to trade Dennis Schröder or Max Strus to acquire Watson in a sign-and-trade deal with the Nuggets.
"League sources say Cleveland has been exploring various trade possibilities with both Schröder and Strus that would enable the Cavaliers — provided one or both of those salaries could be shed — to make a representative four-year offer to Peyton Watson," Stein wrote.
Last season with the Nuggets, Watson averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 49.1% from the field, 41.1% from beyond the arc and 73.0% from the free-throw line. He's one of the best two-way wings in the NBA.
The Cavaliers need a starting small forward after losing Dean Wade to the Philadelphia 76ers. Watson can start alongside James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Watson has been in the NBA since 2022. He holds career averages of 8.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.
Harden is waiting to sign his new deal with the Cavaliers to give the franchise financial flexibility to acquire Watson or Jonathan Kuminga, who is an unrestricted free agent after the Atlanta Hawks declined his 2026-27 team option.
Cleveland lost to the New York Knicks in the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals in four games. It's been a tough offseason for the Wine and Gold, who lost Wade to the 76ers, Keon Ellis to the Brooklyn Nets and Larry Nance Jr. to the Indiana Pacers and franchise legend LeBron James signed with Philadelphia instead of coming home.
The Cavaliers did sign Mario Hezonja after LeBron went to the 76ers. Without LeBron, the Cavaliers' core remains the same: Harden, Mitchell, Mobley and Allen. We'll see if that core can get over the hump next season.
The biggest move the Cavaliers made this summer was signing Mitchell to a massive extension. Mitchell agreed to a four-year, $273 million maximum contract extension with Cleveland.
The Cavaliers acquired Mitchell from the Utah Jazz in 2022. Mitchell is averaging 26.7 points per game in the regular season and 27.3 points per game in the playoffs in a Cleveland uniform.
It will be interesting to see if the Cavaliers get Watson or Kuminga. Cleveland has to get one of them.
