Peyton Watson Trade Grades: Cavaliers Swing Big in Five-Team Blockbuster Deal

On Wednesday night, one of the final dominos of this NBA offseason fell, as Peyton Watson’s time with the Nuggets came to an end.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Denver was trading Watson to the Cavaliers as part of a three-team deal involving the Clippers. Watson will head to Cleveland, while Max Strus is packing up for Los Angeles. In exchange for their young wing, the Nuggets receive the Cavs’ unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a Kings’ second-round pick that will convey in 2032. Then Charania reported the trade was expanded to four teams, with the Wizards jumping in to land Tre Mann along with a 2027 Clippers second-rounder and cash in exchange for Cam Whitmore (going to Cleveland) and Julian Reese (heading to Denver). Later, Jake Fischer reported it’s actually a five-team deal, as the official transaction will include Cleveland’s Dennis Schröder trade from last week.

It’s quite the complicated maneuver for August. But that’s why we love This League.

Let’s break down every aspect of the trade and offer up grades for the four teams involved as Watson finally finds a new home.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Peyton Watson — The Nuggets selected Watson with the No. 30 pick in the 2022 draft. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Trade away: Max Strus, Tre Mann, 2031 first-round pick, 2032 second-round pick, cash
Receive: Peyton Watson, Cam Whitmore

Watson is a perfect fit for this Cavaliers roster. Cleveland has been missing an elite wing defender throughout the Donovan Mitchell era, and Watson showed he was just that in his breakout campaign last season, taking on tough defensive assignments while disrupting the opposing offense with consistency; he averaged 1.9 stocks (steals plus blocks) per game last year. His defensive ability has never really been in question considering his instincts and athleticism, though. It’s the other end where Watson had to make strides to build an NBA career, and he did that last year with a career-high 14.6 points per game on 41% shooting from deep. He leans more D than three, but Watson clearly has the skill set and build to be a connective wing piece that every contender needs—particularly the Cavs, whose disappointing playoff exits over the last few seasons can be largely attributed to poor wing defense.

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It’s not without its risks. Watson’s shooting might prove a mirage, in which case he’s just a slightly better version of Isaac Okoro. The ‘31 pick the team gave up was its last tradable first-round pick until 2033. Losing Strus is also an undeniable bummer given his sharp shooting and the effort he showed in the conference finals last season. Looming above it all is genuine concern around Watson’s hamstring injury that knocked him out for half of last year’s campaign and forced him to miss all six of the Nuggets’ playoff games. Cleveland is pot-committed to this roster in many ways; the Watson trade ensures the franchise has zero recourse but to sit back and pray this year goes as hoped.

But he is exactly the type of player the Cavs should burn all their remaining assets for. The interior defense is elite with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Scoring will be taken care of by Mitchell and James Harden (now that the way is clear to sign on the dotted line). On paper, all this roster was missing was a strong defensive presence on the perimeter, and Watson can be exactly that. A worthwhile deal despite the high cost of assets and a sign-and-trade that hard-caps Cleveland at the first apron, leaving very little room to maneuver going forward.

Grade: A-

Denver Nuggets

Trade away: Peyton Watson
Receive: Cavs’ unprotected 2031 first-round pick, Kings’ 2032 second-round pick, Julian Reese

This was the worst possible ending to Watson’s saga for the Nuggets. He was a much more important player on Denver’s roster last year than Christian Braun or Cam Johnson, his fellow wing mates. But the Nuggets couldn’t find any suitors for those two veterans and the hefty contracts they carry, leaving them in an impossible financial position. They’re already over the second apron, and signing Watson to the deal he got from the Cavaliers would have increased their tax bill by hundreds of millions. If the Denver front office couldn’t or wouldn’t trade any of their more expensive players, Watson had to go.

But that isn’t an excuse for this team. The Nuggets have to be doing everything in their power to build another championship-caliber roster around Nikola Jokić, something team president Josh Kroenke seemed to realize when he promised massive changes following their embarrassing playoff burnout against the Timberwolves. Instead, however, they didn’t make any moves until their hand was forced by financial realities. The result? They give up Watson, a player well-built to offset Jokić’s weaknesses defensively, for… nothing. Nothing that can help them win this year, anyway.

Denver had zero tradable first-round picks, so getting Cavs’ ’31 selection is good for other possible trades down the line. That pick could end up quite valuable if Cleveland’s all-in bet goes awry. But it pales in comparison to the asset they had to give up in Watson, an asset that could tangibly help them win a title. The circumstances around why don’t matter so much as the simple fact that the roster is now worse, which is the opposite direction they’re supposed to be going in with a perennial MVP candidate.

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When you have one of the best players in the world, there’s an obligation to focus on winning first and figure everything else out later. Denver failed to do so here. It’s a disastrous outcome and one that very well could change the trajectory of the franchise in the coming years.

Grade: C-

Los Angeles Clippers

Max Strus — Strus played just 12 games last season due to a Jones fracture in his left foot. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Trade away: 2027 second-round pick
Receive: Max Strus

Great business by the Clippers here. Strus is a talented player with valuable experience and a skill set every team wants on the wing as a sharpshooting, high-effort defender. All they had to do to land him? Give up a ’27 second-rounder and take on his expiring salary of $17 million. Los Angeles has no reason to tank next season without control of its first-round pick. Strus will help the Clips win games and act as a nice safety valve for Darius Garland and incoming lottery pick Keaton Wagler. In the absolute best-case scenario he plays well enough to convince a contender to offer real assets for him at the deadline and L.A. can turn him into a long-term piece, much like the Ivica Zubac trade. If not, Strus comes off the books next year and essentially no harm is done.

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Much is unknown about the Clippers with the Kawhi Leonard trade hanging in the balance. But we know this was a good deal. Even if it’s not really a needle-mover in terms of how many wins they’ll rack up.

Grade: B+

Washington Wizards

Tre Mann is now a Wizard, just days after being traded from Charlotte to Cleveland in the Dennis Schroder deal. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Trade away: Cam Whitmore, Julian Reese
Receive: Tre Mann, 2027 second-round pick, cash

The Wizards saw the action unfolding and figured there was no reason to not get in on things. They gave up Whitmore after getting a full season’s look at the former lottery pick and a two-way center in Reese. In exchange they land a second-rounder to add to the asset cabinet and a playable NBA guard in Mann; he won’t single-handedly change Washington’s fortunes but should be able to provide reliable minutes on an injury-prone and youthful roster. That’s an upgrade, and it cost them nothing in terms of assets.

Another smart move by Washington’s front office to wind up on the winning end of a deal, even if the other side won’t lose sleep over it.

Grade: B

Charlotte Hornets

Dennis Schröder — The Hornets will be Schröder’s 12th different team as he enters his 14th season in the NBA. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Trade away: Tre Mann (to Cavs last week)
Receive: Dennis Schröder, cash

The Hornets technically attaching themself to this deal at the last minute is like that guy who does nothing for the group project but still gets an “A.” Anyway, Charlotte has room in its backcourt for Schröder after trading away LaMelo Ball this offseason. Adding a veteran backup guard is never a bad move.

Grade: B

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