4 important things to know before Cavs trade for Donovan Mitchell

4 things before Cavs trade for Donovan Mitchell: The Fit

The final thing the Cavs must look at is how Donovan Mitchell fits on the team post-trade. Let’s assume for a moment that the Cavs do send Collin Sexton and Lauri Markkanen as the principals of a deal involving a lot of draft equity. Does the resulting lineup give the Cavs a contender?

The offensive potency of pairing Mitchell and Darius Garland would be absolutely lethal. Both are knockdown shooters and can play off of each other in various actions. They would be a real problem defensively, however. Playing Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen behind them would help to solve that problem, but the Cavs will have to develop or find an elite defender at the 3 to take on the most difficult assignments.

That might be Isaac Okoro or Dean Wade to start, but pairing two defensive sieves in the backcourt would mean the Cavs have to find the right 3 to go with them. He can be a role player, a 3-and-D guy, but they need an answer there. If they do, the resulting fivesome would be devastating offensively and most likely decent enough on defense. The bench would be something along the lines of Ricky Rubio, Okoro, Caris LeVert, Lamar Stevens and Kevin Love. That team could compete in the East right now, and as Mobley continues to develop realistically push for the NBA Finals in just a year or two.

It’s unlikely that a package offered by the Cavs will match Utah’s demands, or overcome the offers a team like the Miami Heat or New York Knicks can put together. If the Cavs could wade through the money and contract challenges, there is the potential to put together a phenomenal team.