Cavs and Jazz both look like runaway winners from blockbuster trade

Everyone saw it coming. From the moment Brian Windhorst first pointed to the sky, everyone knew that Donovan Mitchell was going to be traded, and that he would end up on the New York Knicks. No one told the Utah Jazz or the Cleveland Cavaliers, however, and Mitchell ended up heading to the Cavs.

The trade package was formidable. Collin Sexton signed a new deal to be included in the trade, and he went to the Jazz alongside Lauri Markkanen and Ochai Agbaji; Cleveland chipped in a large among of draft capital as well. It was a major move where the Cavs pushed their chips in to set up a young core to compete now, and the Jazz set themselves up to be very bad and chase Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson.

The Cavs and Jazz made a blockbuster trade this summer. The play of Donovan Mitchell and Lauri Markkanen has both looking like runaway winners

No one told the Jazz they were supposed to be bad, however, as they are now 3-0 with three wins over expected playoff teams: the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Pelicans. Leading the way? Not former All-Star Mike Conley or dynamic scoring threat Sexton, but the salary ballast in the deal, Lauri Markkanen.

Mitchell has been excellent for the Cavs and they look ready to compete with anyone, while the Jazz have played much better than expected with their new Cavs in the rotation. Does this mean that both teams won the trade? It absolutely does. Let’s look at the early returns.