The Cleveland Cavaliers just got one of the steals of the offseason in Peyton Watson.
On Wednesday night, the Cavaliers pulled off a significant move, orchestrating a five-team trade that brought athletic Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson to Cleveland in exchange for Max Strus and Dennis Schroder.
The cost to trade for Watson was not inexpensive, of course. They moved off of Dennis Schroder for millions in cash, and they needed a 2031 first-round pick and a second rounder to incentivize the Denver Nuggets to execute the sign-and-trade. Max Strus is heading to Los Angeles.
While much of the initial response to the deal has been focused on the player, how Watson fits in the starting lineup and the swap of Strus for Watson, the contract needs to be a larger part of the conversation. He signed a four-year deal making $88 million.
Cleveland got an absolute bargain of a deal for a player type who is never available for this cheap.
Peyton Watson's deal is a steal
Peyton Watson is 23 years old, a 6'8" forward who just had something of a breakout season for the Nuggets. Watson started 40 games for Denver last season, and in those games he averaged 17.3 points per game and shot 43 percent from deep.
That offensive impact is on top of his already prodigious defensive chops, the foundation of his NBA skill set. Watson is long and athletic, with great instincts and explosive speed. He is on the slighter side, so he isn't ideal for defending burlier players, but he excels defending opposing guards -- a role the Cavaliers desperately need.
The entire NBA is trying to acquire players like Watson: young, athletic, two-way forwards who have shown upside to continue to improve. The New York Knicks just won the NBA championship because they filled their team with them, including OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges; they traded five firsts for Bridges.
That is the going rate for players like Watson: they are expensive to trade for or draft, and they cost a lot of money to sign. Anunoby is making $212 million over five years. Jaden McDaniels signed for $131 million over five seasons. Every team in the NBA wants Trey Murphy III.
Watson has not proven himself to their level, not yet, but the flashes he showed last season suggest he has that upside. He will need to be more consistent, but at just 23 there is plenty of room to grow. And while some might point to Nuggets players taking a step back when they leave offensive maestro Nikola Jokic, Watson's best moments last season happened when Jokic was injured.
The Cavaliers have been looking for such a player for years. They just found him, and got him on a steal of a contract. That is how you take a good team and increase their ceiling.
This trade wasn't free, and there is risk. Watson has work to do, Kenny Atkinson needs to figure out the best way to optimize him.
The contract? It's a steal. And Watson may become one of the best bargain deals in the entire NBA.
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