Cavaliers officially waive $15M former first-round draft pick after signing ex-Nugget Peyton Watson

NBA free agency has been an interesting process, as it was put on hold for about a month while LeBron James took his time making his decision. Then, to end free agency, some restricted free agents had a difficult time figuring out where they wanted to play.

One name that had to wait awhile for his future to be decided was Peyton Watson. He was eventually traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“Denver is trading Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers and will receive Cleveland's 2031 first-round pick and a 2032 second-rounder from the Sacramento Kings. The Cavs are sending Max Strus to the Los Angeles Clippers, which gives them the flexibility to sign Watson to a four-year, $88 million contract. There were multiple other minor moves involved to complete the deal, including the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets," Bleacher Report’s Joseph Rucker wrote.

As part of the deal, Cam Whitmore was sent to the Cavaliers. However, it was rumored that he would have to be waived to make the trade work financially.

“They get Cam Whitmore as part of the trade. They are going to waive and stretch Whitmore over three years. It’s basically a $1.8 million cap hold that will then give them the flexibility to go out and sign James Harden to a new deal,” ESPN’s Bobby Marks said.

On Friday, Cleveland made the move official, waiving Whitmore.

“The Cleveland Cavaliers have waived Cam Whitmore, league sources told hoopshype. Whitmore, the 20th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, has averaged 10.5 points on 45% from the field and 35% from 3-point range in 17.3 minutes during three NBA seasons with the Rockets and Wizards,” HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto wrote.

Whitmore fell on draft boards on draft night, and the teams that passed on him have been proven right so far. He has not been able to put it all together, and if he signs elsewhere, he will have a major opportunity to prove himself.

Whitmore was entering the final year of his $15 million rookie contract. The Cavaliers needed to make a move that would not put them in a difficult financial position, and waiving Whitmore was the solution. With that out of the way, Cleveland will look to make another run at the Finals after falling in the Eastern Conference Finals.

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