For much of the offseason, one of the most coveted and discussed restricted free agents has been Peyton Watson.
The 23-year-old was on the verge of a breakout year with the Nuggets, until an untimely hamstring injury put an abrupt halt to those efforts. Still, Watson had the best season of his four-year NBA journey to date, posting numbers of 14.6 points on 49.1 percent field goal shooting (including an impressive 41.1 percent from deep), 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and close to a steal (0.9) per game in 29.6 minutes across 54 appearances (40 of which were as a starter).
But unfortunately for Denver, they will not be basking in the glory of Watson’s hopeful further ascent.
Last night, ESPN’s resident NBA insider Shams Charania would reveal Watson was dealt to the Cavaliers in a five-team trade, where the former UCLA product is set to sign a new four-year, $88 million deal to stick around in Cleveland. For Watson, he gets his wish of a well-deserved payday, all while joining a Cavs squad still set up to be in the competitive mix and where he’ll be a core piece for the now and beyond.
From a Raptors perspective, it raises the question: what could a Cavs-Raps playoff grudge match look like now with Watson in the mix?
Peyton Watson's addition turns up the heat on a possible Raptors-Cavs playoff rematch
He’s already an elite defender with a strong frame and impressive athletic burst, but a potential offensive leap for Watson doesn’t seem out of reach. There’s still work to do, but given the mini race this summer to land him, I doubt anyone thinks he's reached his final form yet. For the Cavs, that next step would be huge, but even now, Watson can step in and be a game-changer right from the start.
Last year when the Cavs faced Toronto in an entertaining seven-game series, they went into the affair with a wing depth chart of Dean Wade, Max Strus, Jaylon Tyson, and to a lesser degree, Keon Ellis. Those players aren’t too shabby by any means, but not quite the wings you wanna throw out there in a high-stakes playoff matchup. Especially now that the Raptors are just waiting to officially bring back Kawhi Leonard, this won't be the same Toronto squad running Brandon Ingram out there.
Toronto will likely be one of the East’s most gruelling defensive squads, if not the elite in that category. While the Cavs have a solid set of defensive bigs on their hands in the Mobley-Allen duo and a star-studded guard duo of Mitchell-Harden — it’s the Peyton Watson addition that is truly their missing piece. The Cavs have tried to find that long-term wing of the desirable defensive-minded archetype, like Isaac Okoro or De’Andre Hunter in years past. They struck gold with Watson, who has way more room to grow than just being an elite role player or connective piece.
For the Raptors, I wouldn’t say the Watson signing is like facing the boogeyman, but you can’t ignore that an already heated rival just got better — especially at a spot that hits Toronto’s competitive edge. But as a fan, I’m all for seeing Watson go up against Kawhi or face off with Scottie Barnes, whether it’s in a regular-season game or if the Toronto and Cleveland cross paths in the playoffs once again.
Both teams will be aiming to make a statement in the East, and on the Cavaliers’ side, I expect Peyton Watson to be a key X factor in their push forward.
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