NBA Rumors: Cavs, Mario Hezonja, Nuggets, Peyton Watson, Lakers

Cavaliers

The Cavaliers’ reported deal with Mario Hezonja isn’t official just yet.

According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, Cleveland continues working through the process of securing the necessary FIBA letter of clearance from Real Madrid before Hezonja can formally sign.

The situation has become a bit more complicated after reports from Spain indicated Real Madrid believes Hezonja didn’t satisfy the terms of his NBA exit clause before the deadline.

Stein, citing Marca, reported the Spanish club has discussed allowing Hezonja to join the Cavaliers while retaining his EuroLeague rights. Such an arrangement would prevent the veteran forward from using a brief NBA stint as a path to another European club if he returns overseas.

The Cavs reportedly agreed to a veteran minimum deal with the former No. 5 overall pick last week.

Nuggets

The market for restricted free agent Peyton Watson remains unsettled.

Stein reported Denver’s latest offer is believed to be worth roughly $16 million to $18 million annually, though previous reports have differed on the exact structure of the proposal. Either way, Watson is reportedly seeking significantly more.

Meanwhile, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com said on the Wine and Gold Talk podcast that the Cavs are among the teams with interest in Watson.

Any sign-and-trade, however, would be difficult to complete because of salary-cap restrictions facing both Cleveland and Denver.

Lakers

Even after adding Walker Kessler and Kevon Looney this offseason, the Lakers may not be finished looking for help in the middle.

According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, Los Angeles remains in the market for another center.

Woike noted the Lakers already have 16 players on guaranteed contracts, meaning any additional move would likely require a trade or another roster decision before the regular season.