Grading Cavs’ trade for Donovan Mitchell from all angles

Grading Cavs’ trade for Donovan Mitchell from all angles: The Opportunity Cost

With any trade in the NBA, you have to ask about the opportunity cost. In making this specific move, did the team give up the chance to make another trade, or block one of their players from minutes, or sell low or buy high?

In this case, the opportunity cost for the Cavs was probably quite low. They acquired a perennial All-Star guard without giving up one of their three core players. They are in Cleveland, so burning a bit of their 2023 cap space doesn’t hurt them much. They also are generally unlikely to be a possibility in made trade discussions where a star is involved.

The picks are plentiful, but as we discussed above they are very likely to fall in the back-third of the first round. Keeping those picks may have opened up another trade opportunity, or they may have simply sat there, turning into fringe rotation players year by year.

There was no other star deal that appeared to be on the table, and the Cavs have him under contract for at least three whole seasons. Stars usually come available near the end of their contract, so this is unique team control for Cleveland.

Grade: A