The dream starting 5 for the Cleveland Cavaliers 5 years from now

Five years is a long time; as we mentioned above, five years ago Donovan Mitchell was a second-year budding star for the Utah Jazz who looked to be there as long as John Stockton, but things can change quickly. The off-ramp for Mitchell to leave the Cavaliers is a lot more defined right now, but that doesn’t mean he will take it.

Mitchell could certainly leave in free agency, or the Cavs could decide to trade him. Perhaps they flip him for Jaylen Brown, or Cade Cunningham, or Franz Wagner. The dream, though? The dream is that this pairing works right now, that Mitchell and Garland show this season that they can win in the playoffs together, and Mitchell commits to bringing a title to Cleveland.

That’s the dream scenario we are laying out here. Mitchell leaving the Cavs, under nearly any circumstance, means a step back (however small or brief) in Cleveland’s plan to contend. In our dream scenario, they make it to the Eastern Conference Finals this season, and are inside the circle of contenders for the next half-decade, leading Mitchell to re-signing and continuing to star alongside Garland.

In five years Spida will be 32 years old, still comfortably inside of his prime, the 1A to Garland’s 1B as they continue to shred opposing defenses. Mitchell and Garland become the next iteration of the Splash Brothers, and their team success propels Mitchell to a couple of Top-5 MVP finishes and five-straight All-NBA teams. The best part is that he adds strength and becomes the defender his athleticism and length suggest that he can be.