Cavs’ Peyton Watson: ‘Very flattering’ to be recruited by James Harden

James Harden did more than wait for the Cavaliers to improve their roster. He helped them do it.

Peyton Watson said Harden contacted him during his restricted free agency and made it clear that Cleveland wanted him.

“Getting a call or text from him throughout my process to let me know the Cleveland Cavaliers are interested, that matters a lot,” Watson said during his introductory press conference. “Obviously, he has one of the great basketball minds we’ve ever seen.”

Watson said being embraced immediately by Harden was “very flattering.”

The recruiting effort was part of a larger organizational push. Watson spent much of the offseason waiting for clarity, unsure where he would play or how he should prepare.

“It wasn’t about the contract. It wasn’t about the money,” Watson said. “I just wanted to know where I was going to be playing basketball.”

Once the Cavs became involved, Watson said they remained persistent. More importantly, they showed interest in him beyond what he could provide on the court.

“As soon as they were interested, they were about me as a player, embraced me as a person as well,” Watson said. “The moment they got on, they were on.”

Cleveland eventually acquired Watson in a multi-team trade and signed him to a four-year, $88 million contract. The Cavs parted with Max Strus and an unprotected 2031 first-round pick to land the 24-year-old wing.

The front office constructed the deal. Harden helped make Cleveland feel like the right destination.

For a team trying to win immediately, that is another way its veteran point guard can create an assist.

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