Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers are closing up shop on what has been an impressive season for the team. They are currently 46-33 on the campaign and in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with just three games remaining in the regular season.
Despite Cleveland’s success, talk has surrounded the team potentially trading Mitchell this summer. He’s under contract for the 2024-25 season, but will more than likely opt out of his deal the following summer. We can now add another report to the mix as it relates to this.
“The buzz in NBA circles suggests that barring a run to the NBA Finals, Mitchell will decline an extension and look elsewhere, and the Cavaliers are more likely than not to move him well before he can leave outright as a free agent.”
Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus on potential of Donovan Mitchell trade
Mitchell, 27, was originally acquired by Cleveland from the Utah Jazz ahead of the 2022-23 season. He’s morphed into one of the best point guards in the game since.
- Donovan Mitchell stats (2023-24): 26.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 6.0 APG, 46% shooting
At issue here are rumors that Mitchell will move on to a larger market or a team in a better situation to contend for an NBA title.
Cleveland yielded three first-round picks and two pick swaps to acquire Mitchell from Utah back in 2022. It is not in a position to lose him for free following next season. It’s that simple.
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Ideal Donovan Mitchell landing spots in trade from Cleveland Cavaliers
It goes without saying that there would be a ton of interest in Mitchell’s services this summer if he is indeed put on the trade block. Here’s a look at four ideal destinations.
- New York Knicks: This one is about as obvious as it gets. Mitchell is a native New Yorker. He had talked in the past about playing for his hometown team. The Knicks also provide a larger market and can be seen as a title contender with Mitchell in the mix. The idea of Mitchell teaming up with NBA MVP candidate Jalen Brunson might be too hard for front office head Leon Rose to pass up on.
- Los Angeles Lakers: It goes without saying that the Lakers’ future is all about the decision LeBron James makes this summer. He can opt out of his contract and hit NBA free agency. Right now, it seems like that will be the case. Obviously, the Lakers are not title contenders without James in the mix. In fact, they’d likely go into rebuild mode. As it stands, James will have certain asks of the Lakers’ front office if he does return. Acquiring Mitchell might very well be one of them. Whether Los Angeles has the assets to pull off a blockbuster of this ilk remains to be seen.
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- Golden State Warriors: Currently sitting as the 10th seed in the Western Conference, the Warriors’ dynasty is over. The big three of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are not getting any younger. Meanwhile, Thompson himself could bolt in free agency. The backdrop here is Golden State’s need to build a contender around Curry as his career hits its twilight. Making a bold move to team him up with Mitchell makes a ton of sense.
- Los Angeles Clippers: Paul George will likely opt out of his contract and hit free agency this summer. There are also rumors of him potentially bolting the Clippers and ending his partnership with Kawhi Leonard. If that is indeed the case, acquiring a younger Mitchell to team up with Leonard would make a ton of sense. A it stands right now, these Clippers can’t be seen as top-end title contenders in the Western Conference. Bringing in Mitchell would change the dynamics in that regard.