How could Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell trade affect Raul Neto’s role?

This coming season, the Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to level up, and build off of a strong 2021-22 campaign, where they nearly made the postseason. Cleveland had its struggles in the closing stretch of the prior season, unfortunately, and lost in their two play-in tournament games.

Recently, though, the team added starpower in trading for Donovan Mitchell in a deal with the Utah Jazz. It took a haul to do so, and I have my questions about the defensive outlook, but I do understand where the Cavaliers were coming from there, and a core of Darius Garland, Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen is an impressive one. Mitchell is the oldest of those players, too, and just turned 26.

As it pertains to Mitchell, and in relation to Garland in this sense, they’ll form an electric backcourt duo, as both can score in a number of ways, and they can be at the controls in staggered stretches while one of the two gets a breather. Mitchell is a combo guard who should be able to function as a de facto lead guard at times, I’d think, to that point.

With that being said, with the Mitchell trade acquisition in the fold now, while that sort of deal will impact the team in general, another guy that could be of note that affects is Raul Neto. Neto, who was a depth signing in free agency via one-year, veteran’s minimum deal, was signed as insurance for until Ricky Rubio returns, more so, and could play here and there when Rubio is back from injury.

So, how could the Mitchell trade affect Neto’s role for the Cavs?

With what he provided for the past two seasons for the Washington Wizards with a more legit offensive role for stretches, Neto should still receive some rotational minutes until Rubio is back, feasibly in December or January.

Upon having more opportunities with Washington, Neto had 8.7 points and 2.3 assists per game in 2020-21, and then 7.5 points and 3.1 assists per outing in 2021-22. He gave the Wizards productive minutes for stretches as a ball mover, showed he can make some plays as a driver in getting downhill, and typically did a fine job defending. He filled in pretty well in some spot starts, too.

For the Cavs, he should again get some minutes to help preserve Garland, realistically until Rubio returns. With Mitchell now involved, though, that could reduce the opportunities for Neto stretches, with Mitchell functioning as more of a primary playmaker at times with Garland on the bench.

Mitchell and Garland will have their share of minutes together obviously, but with Mitchell’s passing growth in recent seasons, which included him having 5.3 assists per outing last season, he’ll have times where he’s at the controls.

Plus, in my opinion, if Caris LeVert is more so a bench contributor, he could have some stretches where he functions as at least a notable secondary playmaker. Granted, we’ll have to see on that front, and LeVert could be a trade candidate to watch as the season progresses, and he’s in the last year of his current contract, in fairness.

Anyways, in regards to Neto’s outlook, while he should still receive rotational minutes, and he’s a quality point-of-attack defender and has quick hands which lead to deflections, he could return to being more of a defensive specialist. That’d be similar to when the 6-foot-2 Neto was with Mitchell and Rubio before in Utah and in one season with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019-20.

I could be wrong, but the 30-year-old Neto is a guy who seemingly could have a somewhat marginalized role with Mitchell now in the fold.