A first-round exit for the Cleveland Cavaliers at the hands of the Toronto Raptors might give Donovan Mitchell second thoughts about signing an extension with Cleveland this summer. Interestingly, The Athletic's Fred Katz reported on Friday that the Cavaliers would discuss the possibility of trading Mitchell if he didn't sign an extension.
Here's what it gets freaky. If all of the above goes down, a logical landing spot for Mitchell would be ... wait for it ... the Raptors. That's right: Toronto could upset an underperforming Cleveland team in the first round as a launch pad to steal the Cavs' franchise player on the trade market a couple of months later. Absolute cinema.
Obviously, Cleveland doesn't want any of this happen. But since we're here talking about it, it's worth noting that the Raptors have the necessary trade chips for Mitchell, at least in terms of making the money work.
A Raptors trade package for Donovan Mitchell is easy to construct
When you attach the contracts of Gradey Dick (expiring after 2026-27) and Collin Murray-Boyles to either Immanuel Quickley or RJ Barrett (expiring after 2026-27), you've arrived at a trade package that works money-wise for Mitchell.
Throw in enough first-round draft capital to get Cleveland to bite, and voila, you've created a Big 3 with Spida, Brandon Ingram, and Scottie Barnes in Toronto for next season.
The Cavs would no doubt prefer Barrett's expiring in this theoretical deal to the overpaid Quickley. They'd also feel entitled to demand a hefty amount of draft capital from the Raptors, and rightfully so. Mitchell is a superstar who hasn't turned 30 years old yet.
If Cleveland actually made this deal, they'd be launching a rebuild, or at best a re-tool, if you believe that an aging James Harden plus Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen constitutes a contender moving forward. That would be a huge stretch, unless Mobley turned into the Kevin Garnett-esque superstar that Cleveland has been hoping for (good luck with that). This leads us back to Mitchell.
The best plan for Cleveland is to keep Donovan Mitchell, not trade him!
The Cavs have every reason to keep Mitchell in town as long as possible, and they know that. He's Cleveland's best player and the key to their current championship window that could extend into next season if the Cavs make strides this postseason (Eastern Conference Finals or bust, baby).
It's now or never for Cleveland, and if they falter this postseason, no one would blame Mitchell for being tempted to keep his options open this summer. He's hungry for a title, and if it looks like it's not going to happen with the Cavs, there are plenty of other teams that could rise to true contender status by adding Spida, not least of all the Raptors. Just a sneaky sub-plot for you to ponder while watching this delicious first-round series.
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