Cavaliers may end pursuit of ex-Warriors Jonathan Kuminga, Peyton Watson for James Harden originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been pursuing former NBA champion Jonathan Kuminga for quite some time. Cleveland is expected to be a contender in the Eastern Conference, but the team desperately needs to acquire a starting-caliber wing.
Contract talks have been the biggest obstacle for Kuminga and every team that has pursued him this summer. Still, the Cavaliers recently met with him in an effort to work toward a potential deal.
“The Cavaliers will meet with Jonathan Kuminga about working towards finalizing a potential sign-and-trade agreement soon, per Chris Fedor. Cleveland is a main finalist for Kuminga's services alongside the Lakers. Kuminga continues to seek a deal exceeding $20 million annually," NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote.
With nothing getting done, Cleveland shifted its attention toward Peyton Watson, another rising 23-year-old wing. The Cavaliers have been aggressively pursuing Watson in recent weeks.
“The Cavaliers appear to be prioritizing Peyton Watson now over Jonathan Kuminga as their Plan B wing option after missing out on LeBron James. Cleveland would offer Max Strus or Dennis Schröder alongside a future swap. The Nuggets remain in a serious bind due to apron issues," Sidery wrote.
While this has been going on, James Harden has been waiting on a new contract, which could complicate Cleveland’s pursuit of either player. However, The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer doesn’t believe Harden will wait much longer, potentially forcing the Cavaliers to back out of the race for Kuminga and Watson.
“If Cleveland has to back out of their pursuit of Peyton Watson and Jonathan Kuminga in order to wrap up James Harden,” said Fischer. “That’s just one thing I’m keeping an eye on here as we get deeper into August. Because Harden has been a true team player in waiting to re-sign with the Cavaliers as Cleveland was dabbling in the LeBron James sweepstakes, and now as they have looked at various sign-and-trade mechanisms. I just wonder how long James Harden is going to be willing to wait.”
This is not what the Cavaliers want to happen, as it would essentially mean that they fail to address their biggest need this offseason. It would also leave Cleveland with a significant hole in its starting lineup.
Kuminga or Watson would be a huge addition for Cleveland, so the Cavaliers will have to either convince Harden to continue waiting or find a way to get a deal done quickly. Cleveland can’t afford to end its offseason without acquiring one of the two wings, and Harden may ultimately have to understand that if the Cavaliers are going to build the roster they believe can contend.
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