Cleveland Cavaliers starter Peyton Watson out with hamstring injury

CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers have an injured starter: wing Peyton Watson.About an hour before tipoff between the Cavs (4-2) and Oklahoma City Thunder (4-2) on Monday, Nov. 2, at Rocket Arena, Cleveland ruled out Watson for the first time this season. Watson is dealing with right hamstring tightness, according to the Cavs.Cavs vs. Thunder: Cleveland Cavaliers score, lineups and more vs. Oklahoma City at Rocket ArenaWhat are the Cavs saying about Peyton Watson's hamstring injury?During pregame media availability, Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said Watson would "test" his hamstring to decide whether he would face the Thunder. The Cavs had listed Watson as questionable before ruling him out."Not overly concerned with it," Atkinson added.More Cavs: Cavaliers' win over Wizards showcases promising rookies and an enhanced East ConferencePeyton Watson's stats with Cleveland CavaliersAcquired from the Denver Nuggets in a sign-and-trade deal this past summer, Watson started each of Cleveland's first six games this season.The 24-year-old Watson is averaging 10.8 points on 37.1% shooting from the field (16.7% on 3-pointers), four rebounds, three assists, 1.2 steals, 1.8 blocked shots and 28.6 minutes.Peyton Watson's injury history with Nuggets includes hamstring issuesWith the 2025-26 Nuggets, Watson missed 25 of the final 30 regular-season games and did not appear in the 2026 playoffs. The Nuggets listed Watson with a right hamstring injury.What did Peyton Watson say about his hamstring injury?Watson addressed his hamstring injury with the Nuggets during his introductory news conference with the Cavs on Sept. 17"I felt like I was getting into a groove, obviously, having the best year of my career, felt amazing on both sides of the ball," Watson said then. "So, it was just something that was a tough pill to swallow for me, and it's something that I definitely am going to hold with me, and I've taken a completely more intentional approach to just taking care of my body and doing the little things to make sure that my availability is always there for the team."The Akron Beacon Journal sports department can be emailed at bjsports@thebeaconjournal.com.This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Cavaliers starter Peyton Watson out with hamstring injury