The Cleveland Cavaliers are on the verge of disaster in the NBA Playoffs - and with disaster come consequences. If Donovan Mitchell is going to be traded away this summer, the NBA Draft Lottery on Sunday afternoon could determine which team has the ammunition to come and get him.
In the NBA, the league "draws" for the top four picks using a lottery system; each team that misses the playoffs has a number of ping pong balls, with worse teams having more chances at a top pick. The Cavaliers, as a playoff team, will not be involved.
The Draft Lottery matters to Cleveland
That doesn't mean that the lottery means nothing for Cleveland, of course. They will be rooting for the top picks to go to the Western Conference. If they couldn't beat the Indiana Pacers last season, how much harder will it be to defeat the Pacers plus a young star?
Where the lottery will matter the most is in defining the trade landscape. If the Milwaukee Bucks can move up and land a top prospect, will that entice Giannis Antetokounmpo to commit to staying and building something new? Or will that give the Bucks a centerpiece of their rebuild to replace the outgoing Antetokounmpo?
It also matters for the Cavaliers' trade market, and in particular Donovan Mitchell. There will be significant changes in Cleveland if they fall flat on their faces in the second round of the playoffs once again. That could mean something as small as trading Jarrett Allen, but it could also mean trading away Mitchell.
Donovan Mitchell could be traded
Mitchell is extension-eligible this summer, introducing a decision point. Are the Cavaliers ready to commit the next half-decade to a star who has never made it to the Conference Finals? Is Mitchell ready to commit his future to a team that has struggled in the postseason, including a regressing Evan Mobley and a true-to-form James Harden?
If the two sides are unable or unwilling to come to an agreement this summer, that opens the door for a blockbuster trade. And which team trades for Donovan Mitchell could be dictated by the NBA Draft Lottery on Sunday afternoon (3:00 PM ET).
Who will trade for Mitchell?
If the Bucks land a high pick, could they flip that to the Cavaliers as the centerpiece to a deal for Mitchell, pairing him with Antetokounmpo?
If the Atlanta Hawks move up in the lottery, could they offer that pick at the center of a package for Mitchell to be their offensive engine?
If the Chicago Bulls or Sacramento Kings fail to move up, could they turn to a win-now approach by trading for Mitchell?
The Miami Heat would love a nice shiny Top-4 pick to offer for a star like Mitchell.
How would Mitchell look playing next to Cooper Flagg?
The Cavaliers have to decide what they are looking for if they decide to move on from Mitchell, but he will instantly be a highly-prized player on the trade market. The lottery will have a significant impact on both who wants to trade for a star like Mitchell, and the trade package that they can offer in exchange for him.
Sunday could go a long way toward deciding Donovan Mitchell's next team.
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