RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Cavaliers officially outbid Bucks, Clippers to acquire $88M NBA champion in monster 5-team trade originally appeared on The Sporting News .
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The Cleveland Cavaliers had a relatively quiet offseason, especially during free agency. However, the organization had its sights set on Peyton Watson for the past month and eventually made him a priority.
The 23-year-old NBA champion was the player Cleveland wanted to fill its hole on the wing. Earlier in the week, the Cavaliers acquired Watson in a mega five-team trade.
“Denver is trading Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers and will receive Cleveland's 2031 first-round pick and a 2032 second-rounder from the Sacramento Kings . The Cavs are sending Max Strus to the Los Angeles Clippers , which gives them the flexibility to sign Watson to a four-year, $88 million contract. There were multiple other minor moves involved to complete the deal, including the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets ," Bleacher Reports Joseph Rucker wrote.
The Cavaliers acquired Watson from the Denver Nuggets after competing with several other teams for his services. Cleveland was able to beat out teams such as the Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks .
“That is why teams like the LA Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Atlanta Hawks have all expressed sign-and-trade interest in Watson over the last month. Interest from the Clippers, Bucks, and Cavs is real, yet there are still some limitations to each potential sign-and-trade scenario,” NBA insider Brett Siegel wrote.
The move was significant for the Cavaliers, who are coming off an Eastern Conference Finals appearance. On Friday, Cleveland made the five-team trade official, officially making Watson a member of the franchise.
“Cleveland made the trade official today, as Watson will wear No. 8 for the Cavs,” NBA writer Jake Weinbach wrote.
With this addition, Cleveland becomes more athletic and versatile on the wing. Watson was ultimately the player the Cavaliers chose over Jonathan Kuminga, who had also been a major target for the organization.
Watson agreed to an $88 million contract with the Cavaliers. If he can build on the production he showed last season, he could make Cleveland an even more dangerous team and give the rest of the Eastern Conference another reason to be concerned.
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