The Eastern Conference contenders continue to load up. The latest rival of the Detroit Pistons to make a big offseason addition was the Cleveland Cavaliers, who reportedly executed a sign-and-trade for Peyton Watson.
The Cavs, who eliminated the Pistons in Round 2 of the East playoffs last year, will give the restricted free agent a four-year, $88 million deal. This cost the Cavs an unprotected 2031 first-round pick, a 2032 second-round pick, Max Strus, and Dennis Schröder.
Some Pistons fans will be upset to see that fellow Eastern Conference contenders are making big moves while Detroit has refused to use any of its assets in a trade this season. And it's true that Watson would have been a solid addition for the Pistons, and he will help the Cavs in a big way.
At the same time, the Pistons have nothing to worry about. Watson is a talented, versatile player with upside, but it's very debatable whether the Cavs actually got better for next season.
Pistons have contenders to fear, but the Cavs aren't one of them
We can assume that James Harden will inevitably re-sign with the Cavs. Even then, Cleveland has lost a ton of depth this summer. Keon Ellis, Schröder, and Strus all left this offseason. The only sure-fire rotation player the Cavs added to replace them was Watson.
The problem is that Watson is a combo forward, but the Cavs lost three backcourt players. This means that Cleveland has to rely on several unproven players in their guard rotation. As things stand now, their backup guards are Craig Porter Jr., Tyrese Proctor, Meleek Thomas, Jaylon Tyson, and Sam Merrill. Harden will turn 37 next week, and even though he has been remarkably healthy in his career, the depth behind him should scare the Cavs.
It's not like the rest of the Cavs' rotation is anything to write home about. Their backup center is Thomas Bryant, an insufficient option for any team with real postseason aspirations. Their backup forward options are Nae'Qwan Tomlin and Mario Hezonja.
The Cavs have a very good starting five: Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Watson, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. The rest of their depth, however, leaves plenty to be desired. The only proven rotation players behind them are Merrill and Tyson.
If the Eastern Conference were how it was a few years ago, the Cavs could still be considered contenders. Given how many stacked teams there are now, including the Pistons, it's difficult to take the Cavs seriously as a title contender.
People outside of Detroit may disagree, considering the Cavs defeated the Pistons in the playoffs only three months ago. After how this offseason went for both teams, however, there is no reason for Pistons fans to worry about the Cavs.
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