Draymond Green believes the Denver Nuggets made a calculated long-term decision by sending Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a sign-and-trade that brought back an unprotected 2031 first-round pick.
Speaking on The Draymond Green Show, Green highlighted the value of the future pick while explaining why Denver may have preferred moving Watson rather than Cameron Johnson.
“The Nuggets picked up what a lot of people view as a great, great, great asset which is the unprotected 2031 Cavaliers 1st round pick,” Green said.
Watson signed a four-year, $88 million contract with Cleveland as part of a five-team sign-and-trade completed August 21. Denver received Julian Reese, the unprotected 2031 Cleveland first-round pick and a 2032 Sacramento second-round selection, although Reese was waived by the Nuggets on August 28.
Green suggested the timing of Watson’s contract played an important role in Denver’s decision. The 23-year-old forward was coming off a season in which he averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.1 blocks in 54 games, including 40 starts.
Watson also shot 49.1% from the field and 41.1% from three-point range in 2025-26, a significant improvement from his first two NBA seasons. His development helped establish him as a valuable two-way wing, but the size of his next contract made his future cost a central consideration for Denver.
“The Nuggets was deciding between Cam Johnson and Peyton Watson,” Green said. “I think the sentiment in Denver could be Peyton Watson next deal is only gonna go up from here, Cam Johnson’s may revert back the opposite way so you can afford to keep him longer.”
Johnson, 30, averaged 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 48.0% from the field and 43.0% from three-point range in 54 games for Denver last season. He started all 54 games he played.
The Nuggets entered the offseason after finishing third in the Western Conference at 54-28 but were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games in the first round. Denver has since reshaped its wing rotation, adding DeMar DeRozan on a one-year, $3.9 million contract while losing Watson and Tim Hardaway Jr.
Green also pointed to the broader implications of Cleveland’s decision to acquire Watson. The Cavaliers went 52-30 in 2025-26, finished fourth in the Eastern Conference and reached the conference finals before being swept by the eventual champion New York Knicks.
“The Cavs wanna compete and usually when teams try to compete you have your window and then it goes to s***,” Green said.
For Denver, the 2031 Cleveland first-round pick gives the franchise an asset that could become increasingly valuable as the Cavaliers’ current core ages.
The Nuggets now move forward with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon as their established core while integrating DeRozan and reshaping the roster around them. The Watson trade therefore gives Denver both salary flexibility in the present and a potentially significant draft asset for the next phase of the franchise.
