7:40 pm: The Cavs are sending Mann, the 2027 second-round pick they’re getting from the Clippers, and cash to the Wizards in exchange for wing Cam Whitmore, Charania reports (via Twitter). The Wizards will send two-way player Julian Reese to the Nuggets, who will waive the rebounding big man.
The trade is expected to be completed as a five-team deal, with the Nuggets, Cavaliers, Clippers, Wizards, and Hornets all involved. Last week’s agreement involving Schröder and Mann isn’t yet official and will be folded into this new deal.
Charania notes that the Wizards have been looking for another guard for the last several weeks.
7:00 pm: The Nuggets are signing-and-trading restricted free agent wing Peyton Watson to the Cavaliers as part of a three-team deal with the Clippers, Shams Charania reports for ESPN (Twitter link). Watson will sign a four-year, $88MM deal with Cleveland that includes a player option and a 7.5% trade kicker, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).
Cavs wing Max Strus will be sent to the Clippers, and the Nuggets will receive a 2031 first-round pick from the Cavaliers and a 2032 second-rounder from the Kings.
The Cavs have been searching for their wing of the future for several years, cycling through players like Isaac Okoro, De’Andre Hunter, and Dean Wade. In Watson, they land an athletic 23-year-old wing who was likely going to be among the favorites for Most Improved Player last season before an injury derailed his season. He averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game while posting .491/.411/.730 shooting splits.
How well Watson fits with the Cavs’ core will depend largely on whether he’s able to sustain his outside shooting. He holds a career 36.1% mark from deep but has tended to be a low-volume shooter. With Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen occupying the frontcourt, Watson will need to be a threat from deep to keep the floor spaced for Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, who is expected to re-sign with Cleveland.
As a result of acquiring Watson via sign-and-trade, the Cavs are now hard-capped at the first apron. The deal will leave them roughly $25.9MM in breathing room below that first apron to fit in Harden, notes Yossi Gozlan of the Third Apron (via Twitter).
As Gozlan points out (Twitter link), if Cleveland combines this transaction with its Dennis Schröder/Tre Mann deal, the team could create a $16.7MM trade exception, absorbing Mann into its Lonzo Ball exception. Cleveland now has no future first-round picks available to trade, Gozlan adds.
The Clippers are adding a veteran wing with proven playoff experience in Strus, and will use the $17MM trade exception created in the John Collins sign-and-trade to absorb Strus’ $16.6MM expiring contract, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). L.A. remains $11.7MM below the first apron, though they still have a decision to make on restricted free agent Bennedict Mathurin.
The Clippers are also giving up the draft rights to Ismael Kamagate and flipping the 2027 second-round pick they acquired in the trade for Johni Broome to Cleveland, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer (via Twitter).
The Nuggets will now turn their attention to landing free agent DeMar DeRozan, NBA insider Chris Haynes reports (via Twitter). DeRozan was waived by the Kings in July after a season in which he averaged 18.4 points and 4.1 assists in 31.2 minutes per game.
Charania reports that the Bucks, Trail Blazers, and Clippers had all made offers for Watson prior to this agreement being reached (Twitter link).