The Cleveland Cavaliers are wobbling in the middle of the Eastern Conference, with no real pathway to exorcising their playoff demons and some big questions to answer about their roster. While it may seem unthinkable, the best way for them to bring a championship to Cleveland is to trade Donovan Mitchell -- but there is no way they will do it.
There is a massive quandary that the Cavaliers face with their backcourt. They have two All-Star-level talents in Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell who are an excellent offensive fit with one another and a terrible defensive fit. The organization has found a way to make things work together in the regular season, leading to their 64-win season last year, but in the playoffs, the combination appears to have a ceiling on it.
That has been proven out in NBA history as well; a double-small backcourt is a recipe for playoff disappointment at the highest levels. While it has made sense why the Cavaliers wanted to give Garland and Mitchell plenty of time to prove history wrong, the writing is on the wall: to win a title, Cleveland has to break the pair up.
With Mitchell having another All-NBA season, the answer would presumably be to trade Darius Garland. As we discussed a few days ago, however, there is no realistic trade package available for Garland that would change the team's fate. Small guards have a collapsed market around the league, and given Garland's injury issues he is not going to be the player the league makes an exception for. His value is at an all-time low.
The response Cleveland will make to that reality is to keep the two together and make another run this year. That will almost certainly lead to playoff disappointment once again, all the more because the Cavs could be trying to make a run from a lower seed without homecourt advantage.
There is another way.
The Cleveland Cavaliers should strongly consider trading Donovan Mitchell.
Could the Cavaliers trade Donovan Mitchell?
That is a statement that seems unthinkable. Mitchell is having another incredible offensive season, a lock for an All-NBA slot and potentially another place on the MVP ballot. He is scoring a career-high 29.2 points per game, draining a career-best 39.1 percent of his 3-pointers, and in a year when Evan Mobley has taken a step back, is unquestionably the team's best player.
That means his value on the trade market could be at an all-time high, especially given the lack of other home run options available to needy teams. Could there be a massive trade offer waiting that could allow the Cavaliers to build a more balanced roster around the combination of Darius Garland and Evan Mobley?
What if the Atlanta Hawks swooped in with an offer built around Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Zaccherie Risacher, Onyeka Okongwu and draft picks? What if the Houston Rockets piled on the draft picks and sent Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard to the Cavaliers?
For a player of Mitchell's caliber, suddenly the possibilities open wide. Even if a team cannot offer win-now players, they could overwhelm the Cavaliers with draft picks that Koby Altman could turn around and use to add a two-way wing.
Would the New Orleans Pelicans part with Trey Murphy III if it means landing a true superstar to build around? Would the Toronto Raptors give everything in their coffers to pair Mitchell and Scottie Barnes? The Brooklyn Nets could build a package around Michael Porter Jr. and picks to jumpstart their rebuild.
Think crazier. Would the Oklahoma City Thunder trade Isaiah Hartenstein, Cason Wallace and a tower of draft capital? Would the Miami Heat offer up Bam Adebayo to build their team of the future around Kel'el Ware and Mitchell? What else could be out there?
The Cavaliers shouldn't just trade Mitchell to trade him, of course. The goal is building a roster around Darius Garland and Evan Mobley that can compete for a championship. Slot in Jaylon Tyson and a true two-way star forward like this team hasn't had since LeBron James, and suddenly a way to the top comes into view.
No path is guaranteed to work. Such a player may not be available. The trade packages may not be there. What the Cavaliers do know is that their current group isn't going to win a title. How they respond will take risk, but it also could bring massive opportunity.
At the very least, it's worth considering. Trading Donovan Mitchell could ultimately be the path to bringing another championship to The Land. But it's going to take guts.