It’s been a busy 24 hours for the Cleveland Cavaliers. On Wednesday night, they acquired Peyton Watson from the Denver Nuggets as part of a three-team sign-and-trade involving the Los Angeles Clippers. Then, on Thursday, they locked down All-Star guard James Harden on a new three-year $97 million contract.
If there’s one thing that Boston Celtics fans can take away from Cleveland’s one-two punch of late-summer moves, it’s that the Cavs are going to try to stay in the mix in a reinforced Eastern Conference for a few more seasons.
The Eastern Conference is loaded
The Celtics, this season, will be in direct competition with contenders the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, and the Cavaliers.
This is probably the deepest pool of teams that can realistically feel they’re due for a deep playoff run in the East that we’ve seen in quite some time.
Before yesterday, Cleveland was solidified somewhere in the bottom half of that group, for sure. They were, without a doubt, the saddest Conference Finalist I have ever seen last spring. They improbably blew a 22-point fourth-quarter lead in Game 1 of their series against the Knicks and never recovered.
Like, from the moment they went up 22 forward, the Cavs were the most unserious team imaginable. From lifeless performances to head coach Kenny Atkinson’s infamous “analytically, we’re up two games to one” quote, it was gruesome.
Peyton Watson could be a needle mover
It felt like a given that Harden and his undeniable playoff resume would be back on a new deal this summer -- a move that strikes fear into the hearts of absolutely no one. But this Watson trade might actually make Cleveland more relevant.
The 23-year-old wing is coming off a career season with the Nuggets. He averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while shooting an efficient 49.1 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from beyond the arc. Unfortunately for Watson, he suffered a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the final stretch of the regular season and the playoffs.
Even so, he showed plenty of promise in the final year of his rookie contract -- especially when Nikola Jokic was sidelined with a hyperextended left knee throughout most of January.
Celtics fans will remember his monster night at TD Garden, where he poured in 30 points on 10-15 from the field and 6-7 from three.
Not only does he bring immediate winning skills to the table in Cleveland, but at his young age, there’s potential for him to keep growing. The Cavs could become more than just “the Cavs” if this move pans out for them.
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