The 2026-27 NBA season is still young, but it’s very clear that the Cleveland Cavaliers have not gotten off to a strong start. With a 5-6 record, the Cavs are currently the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference, and while they have admittedly played a difficult slate of opponents, they have not looked like the Finals contender many folks were expecting them to be.
Several players have failed to meet expectations early in the season, with that group including one of the team’s top free agency signings, Peyton Watson. Cleveland paid Watson a lot of money in order to pry him away from the Denver Nuggets in free agency, but so far, he hasn’t lived up to the billing that he came to town with, which recently led an anonymous NBA executive to bash the team for signing him over the offseason.
Cavs Get Put on Blast for Peyton Watson Signing
The No. 30 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Watson gradually turned himself into a valuable two-way wing for the Nuggets over the first four seasons of his career. Watson quickly helped the team win the 2023 NBA Finals, and after putting together the best season of his career last year, he seemed primed for a big-money contract extension over the offseason.
Instead, the Nuggets resisted giving him the sort of deal he was looking for, with the Cavs eventually coming in and giving him a four-year, $88 million contract as part of a five-team sign-and-trade. In a sense, Cleveland was hoping that Watson could come in and replace Dean Wade, who signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency, but to this point, he hasn’t really managed to do that.
Watson has started all nine of the games he’s suited up for, but he has been ice cold when it comes to his shooting efficiency (40.6% from the field and 21.6% from behind the arc. So far, the decision to give Watson a bigger deal than it would have cost to simply retain Wade is looking like a bust, and according to one executive, it sounds like the vibes surrounding this team aren’t all that great.
“Wade is way underrated. And Watson is just the optics,” the executive said, per NBA insider Eric Pincus of casino.org. “(The) Cavs are carrying over their doubts and negativity from the (playoffs).”
Did the Cavs Make a Mistake Signing Peyton Watson?
It’s important to not react too harshly to Watson’s slow start, as he’s only played in nine games, and for the first time in his pro career, he is suiting up for a new team. It is going to take Watson some time to adjust to playing for the Cavaliers, so he should be given some grace. However, from a pure financial perspective, passing on Wade (who signed a four-year, $38.7 million contract with the Sixers) just to pay Watson more money very well may have been a mistake.
There is still a ton of time for Watson to turn things around, and even if that doesn’t necessarily happen this season, he is still only 24 years old, so he’s got room to grow as a player. The results need to begin materializing on the court, though, so expect all eyes to be on Watson as he takes the court for the Cavs’ upcoming contest against the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.
Cavs Get Ripped by Anonymous NBA Exec Over $88 Million Free Agency Signing