3 ways Cavs trade for Mitchell goes from great to epic
How Cavs trade for Mitchell goes epic: Mobley becomes a superstar
Donovan Mitchell is an incredibly gifted player, one of the best scoring threats in the league and one with a track record of performing in the playoffs. He also probably won’t ever be considered a Top 10 player in the league. Darius Garland is continuing to grow in leaps in bounds, has the full offensive skillset and his passing skills allow him to punish defenses in more ways than one. Yet only one team with a small guard as its best player has won a title in decades, and no one, not even Garland, is going to reach Stephen Curry’s level.
Teams need a top 10 guy to win a title, and realistically a top 5 guy. Each of the last 11 title-winners has had one of these four players on it: Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard.
How do the Cavs get a player like that? They develop one, and Evan Mobley is special enough to be that sort of player. Being as good as LeBron or Giannis is a long-shot, but the ensemble cast in Cleveland is good enough to win if Mobley can get into that general conversation. He could be the best defensive player in the league in three years, and a perennial 25-point scorer too.
Next. Grading Cavs’ trade for Donovan Mitchell from all angles. dark
If the Cavs get an answer at small forward, such as Isaac Okoro developing his shot, keep Donovan Mitchell around and watch Evan Mobley grow into a Top 10 player, suddenly they have more than a chance to reach the NBA Finals and bring home a trophy. That’s the path to the Mitchell trade going from great to epic.