The Cleveland Cavaliers finally broke out of their shell this week. After over a month of uncertainty surrounding the franchise, which even expected to land LeBron James at one point, the Cavs pulled the trigger, landing restricted free agent star Peyton Watson from the Denver Nuggets in a seismic sign-and-trade.
In the multi-layered five-team deal, the Cavs also received 22-year-old forward Cam Whitmore from the Washington Wizards.
According to cleveland.com, the Cavs are strongly considering waiving Whitmore.
“Cam Whitmore arrived in Cleveland as part of one of the most complex trades of the NBA offseason,” an article in cleveland.com read. “He may leave before he ever puts on a Cavs uniform in a regular season game. That’s the reality facing the Cleveland Cavaliers right now, and on the latest episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, Cavs beat reporter Chris Fedor made it crystal clear: the front office has already been having serious internal conversations about moving on from Whitmore entirely.
‘They have had conversations internally about the possibility of waving and stretching Whitmore and not having him on this roster,’” ‘Fedor told host Ethan Sands.’”
Why Cavaliers are Expected to Release Whitmore
GettyWASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 01: Cam Whitmore #1 of the Washington Wizards attempts to handle the ball against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Capital One Arena on November 1, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
According to the article, Whitmore was acquired to assist the trade framework centered around Watson.
“Once James Harden’s deal landed at a $30.5 million starting salary, the math simply stopped working with Whitmore still on the books,” the article read. “This is the cruel reality of NBA roster construction. Whitmore wasn’t acquired because the Cavs wanted his on-court impact. He was acquired as a financial mechanism — his salary represented savings compared to Tre Mann’s contract. But now, with the roster coming into clearer focus, his contract is the problem rather than the solution.”
There are three approaches the Cavs could take with Whitmore, and none of them keeps the 22-year-old former first round pick in Cleveland.
“The first and most likely scenario is a waive-and-stretch, which would spread Whitmore’s remaining salary across multiple years, freeing up immediate cap space,” the article read. “The second option is trading him directly into another team’s cap space, which could open a roster spot worth up to $3.8 million. The third is flipping his contract for a player making slightly less, generating modest savings while bringing in additional depth.”
Watson, Harden Safely Land in Cleveland
The Cavs ultimately nailed all their goals. They moved Schroder and Strus, two players whose contracts were major roadblocks to further moves. They signed Harden, who opted out of his contract and held tight, allowing the front office to navigate business and the immediate direction of the franchise. (Harden agreed to a three-year, nearly $98 million deal.) And they landed Watson in a major sign-and-trade, landing them the big fish they had been looking for at small forward.
Watson, 23, gives the Cavs an athletic wing scorer, something they had been glaringly without.
Watson agreed to a four-year, $88 million contract, keeping him in Cleveland until the start of his prime years in the NBA. The wirey 6’8” wing especially made a name for himself last season, where he stepped up for the Nuggets and flashed his two-way superstar potential while three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic was sidelined with an injury.
Watson to Cleveland is potentially a major blow for the Nuggets and a game-changer for the Cavs.
Report: Cavaliers Expected to Cut Ties With Former First Round Pick