Cavaliers reportedly have $62M final hurdle to land 23-year old NBA champion Peyton Watson originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are trying to make a major splash before the NBA offseason comes to an end. The only problem is that they may not have enough financial flexibility to complete the deal they want.
Cleveland has zeroed in on Peyton Watson over the past few weeks. The Cavaliers were initially pursuing Jonathan Kuminga, but Watson has emerged as their clear priority.
“The Cavaliers are actively trying to offload Max Strus and Dennis Schröder’s contracts elsewhere to make Peyton Watson a four-year offer via sign-and-trade, per The Stein Line. Cleveland is now viewed as the strong favorites to eventually acquire Watson from the Nuggets,” NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote.
On Friday, the Cavaliers completed one of the moves necessary to get them closer to a potential sign-and-trade for the 23-year-old. Cleveland traded Dennis Schröder and cash to the Charlotte Hornets for Tre Mann.
“The Cleveland Cavaliers are trading Dennis Schroder and cash to the Charlotte Hornets for Tre Mann, sources told ESPN on Friday. In Schroder, Charlotte picks up an established veteran at point guard who has history with Hornets president Jeff Peterson and coach Charles Lee from his tenure in Atlanta at the start of his career,” ESPN’s Shams Charania wrote.
That leaves one major hurdle for Cleveland to clear in its pursuit of Watson: finding a team willing to take on Max Strus' contract. The Cavaliers are currently searching for a trade partner for the veteran wing and sharpshooter.
“The Cavaliers are now looking for a team willing to take on Max Strus’ $16.7 million expiring contract, which would be the final obstacle to acquiring Peyton Watson via sign-and-trade. Watson is Cleveland’s top wing target as James Harden remains unsigned for added flexibility,” Sidery posted.
If Cleveland can find a taker for Strus, the Cavaliers would be in an excellent position to complete a sign-and-trade for Watson. The young forward has become the organization's preferred starting wing after its pursuit of Kuminga became increasingly complicated.
Strus is currently on a $62 million deal, making his contract the final significant obstacle in Cleveland's pursuit. The Cavaliers are seemingly right on the doorstep of landing their preferred target, but they still need another team to cooperate and take Strus in a trade.
More NBA news:
- Lakers, Cavaliers get massive update on ex-Warriors Jonathan Kuminga, Nuggets' Peyton Watson
- Rockets predicted to flip Fred VanVleet for $197M former No. 1 pick to pair with Kevin Durant
- Cavaliers make major move to potentially get Peyton Watson after trading $117M 13-year veteran
- Ex-Warriors NBA champion Jonathan Kuminga is Cavs, Bucks' second option behind Peyton Watson
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