Cleveland Cavaliers forward Peyton Watson says he felt pressured by the Denver Nuggets into returning too soon from a hamstring strain last season before re-aggravating the injury.
"Two or three weeks into my rehab, I felt like they were ramping me back up too quickly," Watson told former Nuggets teammate Michael Porter Jr. during an episode of the "Curious Mike" podcast. "But at the same time, I know that I'm young, and I do heal pretty fast."
Watson, who joined the Cavaliers this offseason in a sign-and-trade deal, initially sustained the injury in a double-overtime defeat to the New York Knicks on Feb. 4.
The 23-year-old was sidelined for 19 contests before re-aggravating the injury in his fifth game back versus the Utah Jazz on April 1. Watson then missed the final five games of the regular season and the entirety of the first-round defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
"Like, two or three weeks into my hamstring rehab, I was out there playing with the coaches, and I just felt a little tweak," Watson said. "And I felt like that was kind of a minor setback that I didn't really want to accept. I remember feeling pressure to get back and get some games under my belt to warm up before the playoffs."
Watson added: "I remember going into the playoffs and I just didn't feel healthy."
The Cavaliers acquired Watson on Aug. 20 in a three-team deal with the Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers, and signed the forward to a four-year, $88-million deal that includes a player option and a trade kicker.
Watson spent four seasons with the Nuggets after they selected him with the 30th overall pick in the 2022 draft. He averaged 8.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists across 225 regular-season games with the team.
