Peyton Watson trade gives Cavaliers new weapon to finally get past the Knicks

Peyton Watson trade gives Cavaliers new weapon to finally get past the Knicks originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Cleveland Cavaliers made a major win-now move on Wednesday evening, as they reportedly traded for Peyton Watson from the Denver Nuggets in a three-team sign-and-trade involving the Los Angeles Clippers.

According to NBA insider Shams Charania, Max Strus goes to LA while Denver received an unprotected 2031 Cavs first-round pick and a 2032 Kings second-rounder. The move will see Watson being signed to a four-year, $88 million deal, as the Cavs make a big bet on the winger.

BREAKING: Cleveland, Denver and the Clippers have agreed on a trade sending Peyton Watson to the Cavaliers, Max Strus to LA, and an unprotected 2031 Cavs first-round pick and a 2032 Kings second-rounder to the Nuggets, sources tell ESPN.

Watson will sign a new four-year, $88… pic.twitter.com/hXqL3JvsU4

The trade for Watson might actually be an answer for the New York Knicks.

MORE: Nuggets in talks with six-time All-Star to be Peyton Watson replacement

The Knicks swept the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Despite having a scoring machine in Donovan Mitchell and two-way star Evan Mobley, the Cavs lacked a big athletic wing who could defend multiple positions without becoming a liability on offense.

Enter Peyton Watson.

The 23-year-old is coming off a breakout season with the Nuggets, averaging 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Watson shot 49.1% from the field and 41.1% from the 3-point range. He also averaged 1.1 blocks and 0.9 steals per game.

The departure of Strus also tells a lot about how the Cavs are looking at their offense. Instead of focusing solely on offense, the team wants to relieve Donovan Mitchell from defensive assignments.

If Watson can continue shooting at a high clip like in the 2025-26 season, the Cavaliers might finally have their way out of the Eastern Conference.

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