James Harden was apparently behind the recruiting of Peyton Watson to the Cavaliers

James Harden was apparently behind the recruiting of Peyton Watson to the Cavaliers originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

James Harden has committed his future to the Cleveland Cavaliers, which is probably the last long-term deal he can get in his career. He wants to be part of this Cavaliers team that wants to compete at the highest level after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in 2026.

Of course, they did lose to the New York Knicks in a sweep. However, it seems there were promising signs with the current roster. Now, they have added to it with a small forward that perfectly fits the system, Peyton Watson. In fact, Harden played a big role in the recruitment behind the scenes.

Watson was struggling with the contract situation he was having with the Denver Nuggets. Thankfully, they did work together to get him out and land with the Cavaliers. He is in the optimal position as the small forward alongside the likes of Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.

Watson is an athletic wing who will be a good defender as well. He also provides the Cavaliers with elite athleticism that they need in the small forward position. With Harden as the playmaker, he will still have those big dunks he regularly got from the Nikola Jokic passes in Denver.

MORE: Peyton Watson gives the Cavaliers the weapon to help them beat the Knicks

In fact, Harden has been looking forward to this for a long time. During the 2026 offseason, he has been present in many conversations. This includes some discussions that involve getting Watson to Cleveland to be the new starter.

"As the Cavs made various moves, James was not only willing to reduce his salary, but he was willing to recruit. He recruited Peyton Watson. At the Fanatics Fest, they both were there, and at that time, Harden was there and recruited them. They both are from LA," Brian Windhorst said on the Hoop Collective.

Now that Harden is locked into a contract with the Cavaliers, they should be in for a treat with him and Watson as a partnership. It will be interesting to see how the Cavs deal with the expectations because they are set to be one of the top teams in the loaded Eastern Conference.

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