The Cavaliers had to do a lot of maneuvering to set themselves up for a Peyton Watson trade, but president of basketball operations Koby Altman believes the effort was worth it, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes in a subscriber-only story. Altman views Watson, who was acquired in a five-team deal that was finalized Thursday night, as an important part of the foundation as the Cavs hope to compete for a title.
“Peyton is a young, talented player who we believe fits extremely well with the direction of our team,” Altman said in a press release. “His length, athleticism and defensive versatility give us the ability to play him across multiple positions and create more flexibility on both ends of the floor.”
Cleveland, which finished last season above the second apron, was dormant for most of the summer as several Eastern Conference rivals upgraded their rosters. After losing Dean Wade and Keon Ellis in free agency, the Cavs were able to save money by reaching an agreement to send Dennis Schröder to Charlotte in exchange for Tre Mann. When the Clippers expressed a willingness to take on Max Strus‘ $16.7MM expiring deal, that provided an opening to pursue Watson, who was in a contract standoff with Denver.
Watson, who will receive a four-year, $88MM contract that includes a player option and trade kicker, is coming off a breakthrough season with the Nuggets and is expected to move into the Cavs’ starting lineup.
“He has continued to grow as a player in this league,” Altman said. “And we believe there is significant opportunity for him to take another step in Cleveland.”
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Cleveland hasn’t decided what to do with Cam Whitmore, who was acquired from Washington as part of the five-team trade, Fedor states in the same piece. There have been internal discussions about possibly waiving and stretching his expiring $5.5MM contract to create more room below the first apron before officially re-signing James Harden to his new three-year, $97MM deal. The Cavs may see if they can trade Whitmore for a lower-salaried player before taking that step.
Altman also discussed the contributions of Strus, who spent the past three seasons with Cleveland, and Schröder, who was acquired in February at the trade deadline, Fedor adds. “Over the past several seasons, Max became an important part of our team, our culture, and our identity,” Altman said. “His professionalism, toughness, competitiveness, and leadership helped shape the standard we have established here, and his impact went well beyond what he did on the court.”
Harden not only waited to sign his new contract until the Cavaliers were done with their other roster moves, he actively helped recruit Watson to Cleveland, Brian Windhorst states on the latest Hoops Collective podcast (YouTube link). They were together at Fanatics Fest last month in New York City, where Harden pitched Watson on the benefits of joining the Cavaliers.