The Nuggets are trading restricted free agent wing Peyton Watson to the Cavaliers as part of a three-team deal with the ClippersShams Charania reports for ESPN (Twitter link). Watson will sign a four-year, $88MM deal with Cleveland that includes a player option and a 7.5% trade kicker, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).
Cavs wing Max Strus will be sent to the Clippers, and the Nuggets will receive a 2031 first-round pick from the Cavaliers and a 2032 second-rounder from the Kings.
The Cavs have been searching for their wing of the future for several years, cycling through players like Isaac Okoro, De’Andre Hunterand Dean Wade. In Watson, they land an athletic 23-year-old wing who was likely going to be a favorite for Most Improved Player last season before an injury derailed his season. He averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks last season while posting .491/.411/.730 shooting splits.
How well Watson fits with the Cavs’ core will depend largely on whether he’s able to sustain his outside shooting. He holds a career 36.1% mark from deep, but has tended to be a low-volume shooter. With Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen occupying the frontcourt, Watson will need to be a threat from deep to keep the floor spaced for Donovan Mitchell and James Hardenshould the Cavs bring the veteran point guard back.
By signing and trading for Watson, the Cavs are now hard-capped at the first apron, Yossi Gozlan of the Third Apron notes (via Twitter). This leaves them with around $25.9MM to bring back Harden, though they could free up space by waiving and stretching the newly acquired Three Man. Alternatively, they could add this deal to the Mann trade, creating a $16.7MM trade exception and bringing Mann into the Lonzo Ball exception, Gozlan notes (Twitter link), adding Cleveland now has no future first-round picks available to trade..
The Clippers are adding a veteran wing with proven playoff experience in Strus, and will use the $17MM trade exception created in the John Collins sign-and-trade to absorb Strus’ $16.6MM expiring deal, according to Marks (Twitter link). LA remains $11.7MM below the first apron, though they still have a decision to make on restricted free agent Bennedict Mathurin.
The Clippers are also giving up the draft rights to Ishmael Kamagate and moving the 2027 second-round pick they acquired in the trade for Johnni Broome to Cleveland, according to Jake Fischer (via Twitter).
The Nuggets will now turn their attention to landing free agent DeMar DeRozanNBA insider Chris Haynes reports (via Twitter). DeRozan was waived by the Kings in July after a season in which he averaged 18.4 points and 4.1 assists in 31.2 minutes per game.
Charania reports that the Bucks, Trail Blazers, and Clippers had all made offers for Watson prior to this deal being finalized (Twitter link).