Peyton Watson broke out this past season, averaging 14.6 ppg and 4.9 rpg in 54 games played.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have landed Peyton Watson in a five-team sign-and-trade deal.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets and LA Clippers agreed on a reported trade that sends Watson to the Cavaliers, Max Strus to the Clippers, with the Nuggets receiving picks, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Wednesday. Later on in the evening, the trade was reportedly expanded to include the previously-reported deal between the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards that saw the teams swap Dennis Schröder and Tre Mann.
The Cavaliers are also sending Tre Mann, a 2027 second-round pick from the Clippers and cash to the Washington Wizards for Cam Whitmore. The Wizards are sending Julian Reese to the Nuggets, who intend to waive Reese from his two-way deal, per Charania’s report.
Cavaliers receive:
- Peyton Watson (via DEN)
- Cam Whitmore (via WAS)
Clippers receive:
- Max Strus (via CLE)
Hornets receive:
- Dennis Schröder (via CLE)
- Cash considerations (via CLE)
Nuggets receive:
- Julian Reese (via WAS)
- 2031 first-round pick (via CLE)
- 2032 second-round pick (via SAC)
Wizards receive:
- Tre Mann (via CHA)
- 2027 second-round pick (via LAC)
- Cash considerations (via CLE)
A late first-round pick from the 2022 NBA Draft, Watson broke out this past season, averaging 14.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in 54 games played.
Watson completed his original four-year rookie deal and while the Nuggets offered extensions, Watson’s camp declined as he chose to navigate the free agency landscape.
“Peyton is a young, talented player who we believe fits extremely well with the direction of our team,” said Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman. “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. He has continued to grow as a player in this league, and we believe there is significant opportunity for him to take another step in Cleveland.”
The Denver Nuggets finished third in the Western Conference with a 12-game win streak to round out the regular season. However, they fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the NBA playoffs in six games.
Watson missed the playoffs due to a hamstring injury sustained in February that was re-aggravated in April.
As for Strus, the seven-year veteran spent three seasons with the Cavaliers, becoming a key piece in their starting rotation.
Strus was dealing with a left foot Jones fracture for most of last season, as he appeared in 12 games and averaged 11.2 points per game.
Mann, who was selected with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft, spent the past three seasons with the Charlotte Hornets as the backup point guard. He appeared in 53 games, averaging 5.5 points per game. His best season with the Hornets was in 2024-25, when he averaged 14.1 points per game.
Schröder joins his 12th NBA team since being selected 17th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft. The 32-year-old guard from Germany averaged 10.8 points and 4.9 assists over 70 games with Sacramento and Cleveland last season.
