Peyton Watson broke out this past season, averaging 14.6 ppg and 4.9 rpg in 54 games played.
The Cleveland Cavaliers landed Peyton Watson in a four-team 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.
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
- Cam Whitmore
Clippers receive:
- Max Stus
Nuggets receive:
- 2031 first-round pick (via CLE)
- 2032 second-round pick (via SAC)
Wizards receive:
- Tre Mann
- 2027 second-round pick (via LAC)
- Cash considerations
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
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 19, 2026
A late first-round pick from the 2022 NBA Draft, Watson broke out this past season, averaging 14.6 ppg and 4.9 rpg 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.
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 7-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 ppg.
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 ppg. His best season with the Hornets was in 2024-25, when he averaged 14.1 ppg.
Mann was recently dealt in a trade with the Cavaliers for Dennis Schröder before being rerouted to Washington.
