Cavaliers Eye 3-Team Trade for $100 Million Peyton Watson as Nuggets Seek Tax Relief
Updated
Updated · Bleacher Report · Aug 19
Cavaliers Eye 3-Team Trade for $100 Million Peyton Watson as Nuggets Seek Tax Relief
3 articles · Updated · Bleacher Report · Aug 19
Summary
Cleveland would land restricted free agent Peyton Watson in a proposed three-team deal, sending Max Strus out and using a sign-and-trade structure after missing on LeBron James.
A four-year, $100 million Watson contract works only if the Cavaliers stay under the $221.7 million first apron while still leaving room for an expected James Harden deal.
Denver's incentive is financial: moving Watson and Zeke Nnaji could drop the Nuggets below the second apron, cut repeater-tax pain to about $54 million, and bring back GG Jackson plus a protected 2030 first.
Memphis would absorb Strus and Nnaji, collect three second-round picks and $7 million in cash, and use veteran help to avoid a full bottom-out during its rebuild.