We’re still waiting for a few more shoes to drop before we can really turn our attention to previewing the 2026-27 NBA season. As of right now, the Kawhi Leonard situation hasn’t been resolved. Also, Jonathan Kuminga, an intriguing free agency option, is still looking for a home. However, we did see a good deal of action last week. On August 19, a three-team trade went down that sent Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Max Strus to the Los Angeles Clippers, and a couple of picks (an unprotected 2031 Cavaliers first-round pick and a 2032 Sacramento Kings second-round pick) to the Denver Nuggets. As part of the deal, Cleveland inked Watson to a four-year, $88 million contract. We also saw Klay Thompson agree to a buyout with the Dallas Mavericks, paving the way for the veteran sharpshooter to join the Miami Heat on a two-year, $11.5 million deal. And finally, a dramatic week in The Association ended with DeMar DeRozan signing with the Nuggets for the veteran’s minimum.
I have been dissecting most of the offseason’s biggest moves on Hardwood Handicappers, but we have some producers on vacation this week. However, these moves were too big to ignore, so keep reading for my quick thoughts on where the Cavaliers, Heat, and Nuggets currently stand.
Watson to the Cavaliers
Cleveland had to get creative in order to acquire Watson. The team ultimately dumped the contracts of Dennis Schroder and Strus to clear up cap space, and then the front office gave up valuable draft capital for the rights to sign Watson to a big four-year deal. All of that was made possible by James Harden waiting to sign a three-year, $97 million extension.
The Cavaliers went into the offseason hoping to add LeBron James, who probably would have helped them stay organized and poised in pressure-cooker postseason situations. Cleveland could have used that in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks, but that’s neither here nor there. However, after striking out on LeBron, the Cavaliers did well in grabbing the next-best thing.
Cleveland has been searching for a big wing to stick in between the Donovan Mitchell-Harden backcourt and Evan Mobley-Jarrett Allen frontcourt. Well, it seems that search is over. Watson is a 6-foot-8 wing that can finish in transition, attack the cup, and do several things to thrive off the ball. He’s also a solid individual shot-creator, and his three-ball is improving (41.1% in 2025-26). On top of that, Watson is a fantastic multi-positional defender, as he makes good use of his length and athleticism.
The Cavaliers now look to be a top-tier Eastern Conference team once again, and they actually represent some decent value to make the NBA Finals at 6 cents at prediction markets. At the current price, the Cavaliers could be a profitable team to back if they just have a strong regular season, which isn’t out of the question considering this backcourt’s regular-season history.
Of course, this team needs to actually win games, as doing so “analytically” means nothing. But roster-wise, this Cleveland team is as good as any in the conference, and a full offseason should help Harden and Mitchell get more comfortable with playing together. We should also see some more growth from Mobley and third-year wing Jaylon Tyson.
Speaking of Mobley and Tyson, an underrated aspect of Cleveland adding Watson is that the team has done well to build out a decent young core. Sure, there’s pressure on the Cavaliers to win with Mitchell and Harden right now, but long-term hope isn’t lost with several talented 25-and-under players on the roster.
Thompson to the Heat
Thompson agreed to a buyout with the Mavericks, as the 36-year-old wanted to take another run at winning a ring. Thompson just had the second year in his career in which he finished with a negative Estimated Plus-Minus (-1.0). It’s pretty clear he’s nowhere close to his peak level, which is to be expected for a 36-year-old that has been injured as often as he has. However, Thompson still has great size at the two-guard spot, and he’ll always be one of the most dangerous shooters in the league. He has made at least 38.3% of his threes in all 13 of his NBA seasons, and he has knocked down at least 2.8 triples per game in 11 consecutive years.
Miami wasn’t able to keep Norman Powell after trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo, leaving the team relatively light on shotmaking alongside the Greek Freak, Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, and Davion Mitchell. But the Heat were able to scoop up Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr. for pennies. Both players can’t be left open under any circumstances, so Pat Riley did a decent job of addressing this team’s floor-spacing.
Thompson should also look alright defensively with this team. Once a high-level perimeter stopper, Thompson has turned into a negative on this end of the floor. But he’ll enjoy playing with this Miami group, as he’ll guard the worst offensive player on the opposing team. He’ll also be funneling his man into Antetokounmpo and Adebayo. That’s not a bad gig.
The Heat have always profiled as an elite defensive team because of Mitchell, Wiggins, Antetokounmpo, and Adebayo. However, there’s now a little more hope offensively. If Adebayo can get his three-point percentage up from 31.8% to the mid-30s, Miami can win the East — and possibly the title.
DeRozan to the Nuggets
Nuggets fans have every right to be upset with the way Watson’s free agency unfolded. When a team drafts a player and does a good job with his development, you want to see things work out with the two sides. But Denver wasn’t willing to pay him, so the team turned him into some draft picks. Unfortunately, draft picks mean absolutely nothing to a team with Nikola Jokic in the prime of his career. The Nuggets have to be looking to make winning moves, and they were fortunate to be able to bring in DeRozan.
DeRozan certainly has his shortcomings, as the 37-year-old refuses to shoot threes and doesn’t play any defense. However, he can still get you 20 points in his sleep, as he’s one of the most dangerous mid-range shooters and isolation scorers in NBA history. It’ll be interesting to see how his style of play fits into the Nuggets offense, as he’s more of a ball-stopper than we’re used to seeing with this group. But DeRozan at least makes it difficult for teams to throw everything they have at stopping Jokic and Jamal Murray.
DeRozan has also done a tremendous job of staying healthy throughout his career, and postseason availability is something Denver desperately needs. The Nuggets didn’t have Watson or Aaron Gordon when it mattered most last year. Well, having another rotation body in the playoffs should give Denver a shot at winning it all.
The Nuggets have now added DeRozan and Marvin Bagley III to this roster, and they took fliers on Lonnie Walker IV and Alpha Diallo. These might not seem like huge additions, but Denver wasn’t far away from being a title contender to begin with. As long as Gordon can stay healthy, the Nuggets have the talent required to win another title. But replacing Watson’s 29.6 minutes per game with competence was going to be crucial, and Denver certainly did that. With DeRozan’s shotmaking in the fold, the Nuggets should be one of the best teams in the NBA when it comes to offensive rating.
