The Cleveland Cavaliers’ search for a wing upgrade has narrowed to two young, intriguing options. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Peyton Watson currently has Cleveland’s attention ahead of Jonathan Kuminga.
“I haven’t heard anything really moving along with Kuminga of late,” Fischer said Tuesday during a Bleacher Report livestream. “Cleveland is, I think, prioritizing a Peyton Watson effort compared to Jonathan Kuminga right now.”
That does not mean a Watson sign-and-trade is imminent. It does explain why Cleveland’s remaining roster business — including James Harden’s unsigned extension — has become a meaningful part of the league’s late-summer holding pattern.
Harden is expected to return to the Cavaliers, but has delayed finalizing his next contract while Cleveland explores its remaining free-agent and trade avenues. Keeping that number off the books preserves flexibility for president of basketball operations Koby Altman as he weighs the cost of adding a wing.
Nuggets Have Lowered Peyton Watson’s Trade Price
GettyPeyton Watson of the Denver Nuggets plays the Cleveland Cavaliers in the fourth quarter at Ball Arena on December 27, 2024 in Denver, Colorado.
Watson, 23, is a restricted free agent after a breakout season in Denver. He averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 54 games, shooting 49.1% from the field and 41.1% from 3-point range.
His blend of length, defensive versatility and improved shooting makes him a cleaner fit beside Donovan Mitchell, Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen than many of the Cavaliers’ available options.
Denver initially set a prohibitive sign-and-trade price modeled on the Walker Kessler deal: two first-round picks and two pick swaps. But ESPN’s Shams Charania said the Nuggets have since reduced their demand to “a really good high-level player as well as a first-round pick.”
That is still a significant ask, but it gives Cleveland a more realistic starting point than the earlier Kessler-level package.
The Nuggets’ second-apron status remains the central complication. Denver faces strict trade limitations, including restrictions on the salary it can take back, which could make a multi-team framework necessary if Cleveland includes a veteran contract.
Max Strus and Dennis Schroder have emerged as Cleveland’s most logical expendable salaries in any effort to reshape the wing rotation. Strus is due about $16.7 million next season, while Schroder is set to make roughly $14.8 million.
The Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Clippers have also been linked to Watson, ensuring the Cavaliers would not be negotiating in a vacuum.
Jonathan Kuminga Remains a Viable Cavaliers Alternative
Kuminga remains a compelling fallback, even if Cleveland’s pursuit has cooled relative to Watson.
The 23-year-old became an unrestricted free agent when Atlanta declined his $24.3 million team option. He averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 36 games split between the Hawks and Warriors last season.
Kuminga has substantial Cleveland ties. Kenny Atkinson coached him as Steve Kerr’s lead assistant in Golden State, and Kuminga spent part of the 2025 offseason training in Cleveland.
“Jonathan likes the Cavs, likes Kenny Atkinson, and Donovan Mitchell likes him,” Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, told The Athletic.
Kuminga’s appeal is clear: He offers greater on-ball scoring upside and already has support inside Cleveland’s basketball operation. But a sign-and-trade with Atlanta would still be needed if he is to receive the salary he seeks.
Fischer also identified the Los Angeles Lakers as a possible Kuminga destination, another reminder that Cleveland’s decision will not unfold in isolation.
For now, the Cavaliers appear to see Watson as the more natural two-way answer. Whether Denver’s newly reduced price — and Harden’s willingness to wait — is enough to turn that preference into a deal remains the offseason’s more consequential question.
Cavaliers Make Telling Jonathan Kuminga Decision: Insider