The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to get stronger and more competitive this off-season. They made another bold move Thursday when they traded for NBA star Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz.
In the trade, the Cavs gave Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, and their most recent first draft pick Ochai Agbaji from Kansas. The trade also included three unprotected first-round picks and a pair of future first-round pick swaps as well. The biggest name leaving for the Cavs is Sexton, who’s been with the team for four years. He got injured early this past season and never returned.
The rise of other Cleveland point guard Darius Garland this past season made bringing back Sexton unlikely and finally the team made this dramatic move. There were other teams interested in bringing Mitchell onto their teams, but the Cavs were able to swoop in and steal the NBA All-Star.
This deal now puts the Cavs well up into playoff contention and has immediately strengthened their team. Let’s discuss three reasons this trade is a slam dunk for Cleveland.
Mitchell trade slam dunk for Cavs – Reason No. 3: A playoff guarantee
Last season, the Cavs were a few games from reaching the playoffs. Their youth and inexperience caught up to them by the end of the season. But now bringing in Mitchell will almost guarantee a spot. Keep in mind that Cleveland was as high as second place in the Eastern Conference standings as late as mid-February.
They should be able to outdo that performance easily this season if the nucleus of their team stays healthy. With one of the youngest starting five in the league, they are also one of the most talented with the addition of the former Jazz player.
While Mitchell played for Utah, they made the playoffs all five seasons. Those teams had a 2-5 record in the series they played in. In 2021 they lost to the Los Angeles Clippers 4-2 in the Western Conference Semifinals as Mitchell averaged 34.8 points a game. He’s got a 28.3 points per game average in all his playoff series.
When the lights are brightest Mitchell could put on a show and that will certainly help this current young group of Cavs to get to the playoffs. It was a former Cavs legend, Lebron James, who made the Cavs a great team, and now with the rising star in Mitchell coming to Cleveland, there’s again no limit to how the new Cavs will rise, potentially all the way to a future NBA Championship.