The Cleveland Cavaliers moved for Donovan Mitchell this past week via trade by moving Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, and a significant amount of draft capital.
Donovan Mitchell is a perennial All-Star who is consistently right up there in the All-NBA team selection conversations.
Mitchell brings much of the scoring load that the Cavs so desperately needed all of last season as he averages just a hair short of 24 points per game for his career and recently finished the past season sitting at just under 26 points per game.
He would be first on the team in points per game by over 4 points per game if he were on the Cavaliers roster last season, which is notable as the second leading scorer on the Cavs right now is sitting at a measly 16.1 points per game.
An obvious improvement in that regard.
On top of this, the Cavs had two All-Stars last year in Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen with Evan Mobley being just outside of the conversation, with the young big man improving this year, he could be in that conversation as well next year.
The Cavaliers already had a top tier defense last season, but this year they added Robin Lopez and Raul Neto while Allen and Mobley will both most likely improve as well.
These additions will also improve the depth, another advantage for the Cavs even after trading away two starting caliber players and a first-round pick in Ochai Agbaji.
All of this supplies the star-studded backcourt of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell with the tools they need to bring The Land back to the NBA Finals and possibly win one or maybe even more.
This possibility still does not stop the fact that there is still no shortage of burning questions surrounding the Cavs despite their four All-Star caliber players.
Who will start in the small forward spot for the Cleveland Cavaliers with Lauri Markkanen dealt?
With Lauri Markkanen being traded as a part of the Donovan Mitchell trade the Cavs are left with a gaping hole in their starting small forward position with plenty of options to choose from.
The Cavs have plenty of wings available to start for them with various pros and cons to weigh out before making a definite decision.
Although, the decision will be difficult due to the lack of spacing in the frontcourt and the lack of size and defense in the backcourt.
Isaac Okoro is probably the favorite at the moment to take the starting spot despite his short stature at only six-foot-five.
He is a good defensive presence while also being capable of spacing the floor if only just a little bit, although he is a better slasher than a shooter, he can likely adjust.
The next option would be Caris LeVert, a good scorer who turns it on during the playoffs, but still a shorter option and significantly worse defensively, which would be an issue due to Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell both being subpar defensively.
Next up on the list would be Cedi Osman, a guy who is average across the board, he could possibly be a bridge to connect the gaps between the small backcourt and the two near-seven-footers at the four and the five.
Osman is an average shooter, an average defender, and can do a little bit of everything so he may just be the best choice due to his ability to do whatever the team needs in a given game.
Dean Wade and Dylan Windler are both options as well, if Wade can play better defense or if Windler can develop a jump shot both would be viable options for this Cavaliers team to start with Donovan Mitchell.
The last choice would be to find another trade partner to fill the last starting spot.
In a league stacked with good forwards, it should be no challenge for the Cavs to find a good player to fill in their starting spot.
OG Anunoby would be a great choice, a glue player who plays all around two-way basketball would fit perfectly in this roster. Back earlier in the offseason for Toronto, Anunoby seemingly expressed that he might want to find a new home outside of Toronto.
Another great choice would be Robert Covington, a great three-and-D player who shifts between the three and the four who may find himself lost in a LA Clippers rotation including Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
These are plenty of other entirely valid options to choose from, but these are by far the best if the Cleveland Cavaliers can make it work.
No. 2: Who should the Cavs target in free agency to fill out the roster?
Now that there are two more roster spots available for the Cavaliers to use there are a number of names that could use a signing from the championship hungry team. Granted, one could foresee Cleveland leaving one spot open, but the thought is there.
Carmelo Anthony may be aging and far from great defensively but could be great as a shot creator off the bench, especially since he was a good three-point threat on the Los Angeles Lakers last season.
Anthony would bring experience to a team that lacks it and may still surprise us in a smaller role like he did with the Portland Trail Blazers a few years ago.
Wesley Matthews could help slow the bleeding in the perimeter defense by taking up the minutes not ran by Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, or Ricky Rubio as he is an effective three-and-D option.
Matthews was a key role player on the Milwaukee Bucks championship roster and once again played a major role last year while on a disappointing Lakers squad.
DeMarcus Cousins could help bolster the insurance for the Cavs in case Jarrett Allen or Evan Mobley get injured.
Boogie was once the unquestionable best center in the league before injuries derailed his career. Now he has been a massive presence off the bench for multiple teams, both literally and figuratively.
He was a major part of the Clippers, Bucks, and Denver Nuggets during his stints with those teams, even giving the Golden State Warriors plenty of issues in the playoffs this year while Nikola Jokic sat.
Cousins may be the third center off the bench, but he could give the team a big boost in a short five-minute stint.
There are plenty of options yet, but these three seem best suited for what the Cleveland Cavaliers need on their current roster.
How can the Cleveland Cavaliers improve their wing areas this season?
Even with Donovan Mitchell, the Cavaliers still have issues surrounding the wing as a big part of what made their defense so intimidating last year is gone and now is being replaced by undersized players who aren’t as good on that end of the floor.
Obviously with Donovan Mitchell, Isaac Okoro, Caris LeVert, and Ricky Rubio all playing minutes at the shooting guard spot next season, that area is not of too much concern.
The small forward slot is the issue facing the team and while much of the questions posed so far address that problem, none fix it.
The best way for the Cavs to improve their three spot is to either trade for a player like OG Anunoby or to boost the depth and run a ton of guys through that position throughout the game.
A trade for Anunoby would likely have to include much of the Cavaliers bench which is a strong point for the Cavs right now, but with the lack of free agents, it may hurt them to give up too much.
A good trade that may work for both teams could look like Caris LeVert, Dylan Windler, Isaiah Mobley, and a second-round pick in exchange for OG Anunoby and guard David Johnson.
The Cavs could also be thinking long term, keeping their 2024 first-round pick in anticipation of Bronny James coming to the NBA to attempt to sign LeBron James and bring the kid from Akron back to his hometown team.
Any of these three options would work, but the Cavs just need to make a decision.
While these questions may have answers, there are plenty more surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers and Donovan Mitchell that we may not see answered until opening night in October.