We thought the trade rumors would die down when the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Two years after Mitchell arrived in Cleveland, he’s once again facing an uncertain future with his team.
While the Cavaliers have yet to even begin their NBA Playoffs run, where they’re set begin by battling the Orlando Magic, the trade rumors have only started heating up.
Since Mitchell is only under contract for the 2024-25 season before he’s allowed to enter NBA free agency by exercising a $37 million player option, it’s possible the Cavaliers are concerned about their ability to re-sign the five-time All-Star.
Cleveland Cavaliers may be heading towards Donovan Mitchell trade
The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Josh Robbins spoke to an anonymous NBA executive who confirmed that the Donovan Mitchell trade rumors are “very real.”
“That (Mitchell situation) is very real. Teams will definitely clear out a bunch of (assets) for him. We’ll see. But if they face Boston in the second round, they’ll probably lose. And yeah, that doesn’t bode well (for his future in Cleveland).”
Unnamed NBA executive on Donovan Mitchell trade from Cavaliers
The Cavaliers definitely didn’t trade five first-round picks plus an All-Star in Lauri Markkanen to Utah just to come up short in the playoffs. Mitchell is clearly the best player on the Cavaliers, but if they’re faced with another first-round exit two seasons in a row, Cleveland might be curious to see what else he can fetch on the open market too.
Naturally, if the Cavaliers put Mitchell on the trade block, he’d generate tons of interest from big-market contenders such as the New York Knicks or Los Angeles Lakers to name a few.
Related: NBA Rookie of the Year 2023-24: Victor Wembanyama has earned his stripes
Related: NBA MVP race 2023-24: Jokic, SGA, or Doncic?