Peyton Watson, the No. 30 general decide within the 2022 NBA draft, has agreed to a 4-year, $88 million contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers after a three-team commerce, in line with ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Max Strus went from Cleveland to the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Denver Nuggets got here away with Cleveland’s unprotected 2031 first-round decide and a 2023 Sacramento Kings second-round decide. Watson landed with the Cavs and signed his extension.
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The Nuggets tendered a $6.5 million qualifying provide to Watson earlier this offseason, making him a restricted free agent. Denver might match any provide from some other staff.
Watson averaged profession highs of 14.6 factors (on 49/41/73 capturing splits), 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 29.6 minutes per sport over 54 appearances for the Denver Nuggets this previous season, serving to the NBA’s 2023 champions to a different No. 3 playoff seed out West.
Watson, nonetheless, strained his proper hamstring in February, re-aggravated the damage after a quick return in late March and missed the rest of the season, together with Denver’s disappointing six-game loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves within the playoffs’ first spherical.
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Nonetheless, he confirmed sufficient throughout a stretch when the Nuggets wanted him — when Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic each went down with damage — to earn a spot among the many most coveted free brokers this summer season. He’s, in any case, a 23-year-old, 6-foot-8 athletic marvel, who blocks a shot per sport and was having fun with a breakout season earlier than his personal damage.
Denver’s most-used lineup that includes Watson — additionally boasting Jokic, Jamal Murray, Cam Johnson and fellow restricted free agent Spencer Jones — outscored opponents by 20.1 factors per 100 possessions throughout 171 minutes over 13 video games. All lineups with Watson, Jokic and Murray in them outscored opponents by 13.3 factors per 100 significant possessions (throughout greater than 1,300 possessions), in line with Cleansing the Glass.
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Level is: Watson was invaluable to the Nuggets, whose long-term dedication to fellow homegrown wing prospect Christian Braun for 5 years and $125 million — a contract that kicks on this coming season — made it tough to retain Watson. Until they spent.