Last week it was announced that the Cleveland Cavaliers had touched base with the Utah Jazz for a trade to acquire their three-time all-star guard Donovan Mitchell. At the time it seemed like the Cavs and Jazz might come to an agreement as the Cavaliers have a surplus of young players and draft picks.
It is now being reported that the Cleveland Cavaliers have pulled themselves out of the Donovan Mitchell race as they refuse to give up any of their core players for the guard. According to Brian Windhorst from ESPN, the Cavaliers declared Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley completely untouchable.
It is looking like the New York Knicks are set to move in on Mitchell as they have the most intriguing offer for the Jazz as they also have a surplus of young players and draft picks. It is unfortunate that the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Utah Jazz could not come to an agreement but it is very smart of Cleveland to not separate a young core that plays so well together and has shown so much promise.
What could Mitchell have done for Cleveland?
With that being said it would have been very interesting to see how Donovan Mitchell could have elevated the Cleveland Cavaliers. Would Mitchell have made Cleveland championship contenders once again? Or would he just get them into the playoffs? The Cavaliers still need some defense in their backcourt as Garland is a slight liability on defense due to him being a smaller guard.
Caris LeVert is a strong defensive guard as he has the size and the offensive ability. The Cavaliers also still need to figure out what to do with Collin Sexton as he is still a restricted free agent. It is likely that Sexton if he is not traded will sign a one-year qualifying offer with the Cavaliers and then seek a more fitting contract next season.
Even though the Cleveland Cavaliers are missing out on Donovan Mitchell they still have their core. Trading one of their core players would be a very big gamble for the Cavaliers as Mitchell if he were traded to Cleveland is not guaranteed to be there for very long as he has three years left on his contract and there is not anything stopping him from demanding a trade in a few years.
Where will Mitchell end up?
It will be very interesting to see where Donovan Mitchell will end up as Miami, New York, and maybe even the Lakers are still in play for the three-time all-star. Only time will tell where he will land as we all wait and watch.
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