Peyton Watson is officially a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Watson was part of a sign-and-trade deal involving the Denver Nuggets and Cleveland Cavaliers. The final trade was actually a five-team deal, but ultimately the Cavaliers landed their man, signing Watson to a four-year, $88 million contract in the process.
While Watson had a very solid year during the 2025-26 NBA season, the best of his four-year career, his campaign was cut short due to injury. Watson suffered a Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring, originally in February of 2025. He attempted a return to the court in March, but was shut down for the remainder of the season shortly after. He would miss the playoffs as well.
Rich Paul Makes Revelation on Peyton Watson’s Injury From Last Season
Many NBA players injure themselves. And many players reaggravate that same injury causing a longer-term absence. But in Watson’s case, it appears the 23-year-old may have been playing it extra safe by not returning from injury last season.
On the most recent episode of the “Game Over” podcast, co-hosted by Rich Paul, Watson’s agent at Klutch Sports, and Max Kellerman, Paul revealed that he had to “save (Watson) from himself” while attempting his comeback from injury last season.
“He was a restricted free agent. You’ve got to remember, he did not finish the season. He didn’t play in the playoffs. He was dealing with a hamstring, a soft tissue injury. And when you’re dealing with those injuries, you have to be very careful in your return. Now mind you, the playoffs are coming up, and guys want to play. You have to protect them from themselves in that moment because you’re up for a contract, and it’s the playoffs, and I’ve had a very good year, so I need to play. And, it’s important to protect them,” Paul said.
A portion of this episode was clipped and posted to X by NBA Senior Writer, Damian Peters.
The belief from the majority of fans and spectators of the game of basketball is that players want to play the sport they presumably love. Professional athletes get to play a sport for a living, and a large portion of them earn a preferable salary in the process.
But, there’s another side of the coin when it comes to athletes and their decision making process. Watson may have been healthy enough to return during the Nuggets playoff appearance. There’s no definitive information or public report to confirm this either way. However, Paul is certainly hinting at the fact that he and his agency had to step in and “save their client from himself”.
As Kellerman illudes to in this episode of their podcast, sometimes players and teams have to make “business decisions”. For now, it seems Watson and Paul made the correct decision. He didn’t return to play last season and fall victim to further injury. On the contrary, he secured a multi-year contract worth $88 million.
Can Watson Continue Found Success From Last Season?
Last year, Watson, the No. 30 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, enjoyed the best season of his NBA career — so far. He averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.5 made 3-pointers per game. These were all career-highs for the versatile small-forward. He added 1.1 blocks per game on 49.1% shooting from the field.
Watson now makes the move from the Western Conference, where he played alongside Nikola Jokic, to the Eastern Conference, where he’ll share a court with Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.
Harden is fresh off his new contract with the Cavaliers as well. And every player from the projected starting-lineup for the No. 2 seed from last season is signed through at least the 2028-29 season. The Cavaliers were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, and they’ll hope Watson and company will be able to get them over that hump this coming season.
Rich Paul Discloses Intriguing Peyton Watson Information Following Cavaliers Contract