NBA insider Shams Charania reported overnight a four-team trade between the Clippers, Nuggets, Wizards and Cavaliers, with Max Strus going to Los Angeles, Peyton Watson and Cam Whitmore landing in Cleveland, Julian Reese plus draft picks heading to Denver, and Tre Mann plus cash going to Washington. Denvers decision is hard to make sense of: theyve shipped out a promising young player for next to nothing.
This one dropped in the middle of the night, around 1:40 a.m. French time. There had been some noise about a possible Strus move to the Cavs, but Nuggets fans would never have guessed Peyton Watson was on his way out of Colorado for a handful of spare parts.
In one sense, Denvers problem is obvious: money. After giving Christian Braun a strong deal the year before, it looks tough to hand Watson one as well. He just posted the best season of his career, averaging 14.6 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists a night while shooting 50% from the field.
It was a polished campaign, too, with Watson flashing real upside, especially with several strong outings early in the season while Jokic and Murray were out. That means paying up for him now that his rookie deal is done. Denver probably just didnt have the firepower to hold off Cleveland, who are expected to sign him to a four-year, $88 million contract.
Peyton Watson: 35 PTS, 8 REB, 2 STL, 4 BLK, 10/16 FG, 6/8 3FG, 86 TS% vs. Wizards
Genuinely curious, who won this trade? https://t.co/DYp91ZKQf1 pic.twitter.com/EFoQKmKxYn
— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) August 20, 2026
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Cleveland loses a fan favorite
After the departure of Clevelands “young prince” (Darius Garland) to Harden in February, its now Max Strus packing his bags for the Clippers. Even after a major injury that kept him out for much of last season, Strus was still that reliable lieutenant in Atkinsons rotation and, above all, a dangerous shooter from deep (40% from three in 2025-2026). Fans will mostly remember him for that half-court game-winner against Dallas in 2024:
Thanks for the memories Max Strus pic.twitter.com/wT90CUq23s
— McNeil (@REFLOG18) August 20, 2026
Strus will now reunite with Garland, his point guard for two seasons in Cleveland, on a Los Angeles team that is starting to look like something. On the other side, Cleveland gets another wildcard in Cam Whitmore. The talent is obvious: explosive athlete, shot that still needs work, but a glaring lack of minutes compared with huge upside. Itll be interesting to see what the Cavaliers do with a player like that, because hes not exactly their usual type.
A decent move for the Clippers and Nuggets?
For the Clippers, this deal is a clear win: they give up just a 2027 second-round pick to Cleveland and get a key role player back. In 2025-2026, after returning from injury, he played only 12 regular-season games and averaged 11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.3 steals. But in the playoffs, the Illinois native turns into “Mad Max” and comes up big, especially against the Pistons.
Max Strus against the Detroit Pistons in game 5 of the playoffs last season
-20 PTS
-8 REBS
-1 AST
-1 BLK
-1 STL
-6/8 3PM
-75% FGThe LA Clippers just added this playoff riser for free 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/y6tDU7LBLn
— AMB🫀 (@AMBGotAura) August 20, 2026
For Denver, its a lot messier… As ever, the project keeps losing value bit by bit, and this summer has been no different. They lose Tim Hardaway Jr, who turned in a Sixth Man of the Year-calibre season, Watson, who was also in the MIP conversation, Valanciunas, who backed up Jokic, and theyll probably lose Bruce Brown too. And what do they get? Marvin Bagley III, Alpha Diallo (back from Europe), Lonnie Walker IV and Trevon Brazile (a second-round rookie).
Its the kind of free agency that must be music to the ears of their franchise player, who has been in the best-player-in-the-world debate for nearly four years and is an MVP candidate every season. The roster isnt improving. Its going backwards, even as Nikola Jokic hits his peak. A window that looks like its starting to close, and thats a real shame…
The Wizards fill the gap
Washington, to be fair, didnt go hunting for a headline name; they only move on from Julian Reese and Whitmore, who were surplus to requirements. Even so, they do bring in Tre Mann, giving the capital a solid combo guard as Trae Youngs backup. Thats a spot they needed to fill, and it should help make for a more balanced, and far more watchable, team next season.
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Photo by GREGORY SHAMUS / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP
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