After a long delay in negotiations, the Peyton Watson trade finally materialized thanks to a multi-team swap that sends him to the Cavaliers while the Clippers acquire Max Strus and the Nuggets receive some draft capital. Interestingly, while the Philadelphia 76ers were not directly involved in the transaction, they actually had a hand in this multi-team trade thanks to an unlikely connection they have to one moving asset.
To make this deal possible, the Clippers had to send out the second-round pick they received from the 76ers when Philly shed salary and offloaded seldom-used big man Johni Broome to LA. That pick essentially facilitated Strus' relocation to Hollywood. While only a minuscule part of the deal, that selection helped incentivize the Nuggets to part with Watson and reroute Strus.
76ers had an unexpected connection to the Peyton Watson trade all along
This eventful trade deep into the offseason is one that will confound many, especially those following the Nuggets closely. Denver, still led by three-time Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic and another All-NBA player in Jamal Murray, just parted with a restricted free agent whom they developed ardently –– and successfully –– for quite some time now.
Meanwhile, the 76ers now face even steeper competition in the East with the Cavaliers acquiring another two-way standout in Watson. While the young forward has his fair share of red flags when it comes to availability, he is a pretty solid addition to a core that just made back-to-back deep playoff runs.
In addition, as it turns out, the Johni Broome deal somehow allowed the Clippers to add a win-now piece in Strus. It is a bit confusing to see LA still persevere with their dangling missive to win games now instead of pivoting to a youth movement, but the sharpshooter will give their young guns more room to operate on the floor and explore their skill sets. All in all, that is a good move for them.
Obviously, Philly is not directly affected by this trade, at the very least. However, it is worth noting that since their pick is no longer with the Clippers, the stakes for them are a tad lower, in that their second-rounder will probably no longer be a lofty one.
The Peyton Watson trade does make a formidable rival in Cleveland even better, but the 76ers still have superior talent. Hopefully, they can figure things out before they face the Cavaliers in a high-stakes setting.
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