Grade the Trade: Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell joins West contender in new proposal

Laying out the details

While Oklahoma City does not offer the glitz and glam of New York City or Miami, Mitchell has yet to show that a big city is a must have for him to be happy. He wants to win, and the Thunder are primed to win for a long time. With a tall, athletic and versatile point guard in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Mitchell could add another superstar threat in the backcourt without creating the issue in stature the Cavaliers have faced with him and Garland together.

At last trade deadline, the Thunder had reported interest in bringing in former Cavalier Lauri Markkanen, but the Jazz ultimately decided to keep him in Salt Lake City. The Thunder will have immense cap space this summer and could add a star without needing to match salary much at all. If they are still searching for a star, Mitchell could be the perfect addition.

If OKC wants a star, they will have trouble finding a suitor willing to accept a package centered around Josh Giddey and Lu Dort. Both players are talented, but the Cavs could easily find a better offer with a more promising young player than either Giddey or Dort. In this deal, the Thunder still retain a wealth of draft assets and sizeable contracts to complete another trade down the line, possibly for Markkanen.

This deal would likely place Mitchell into a the number-two role behind SGA, but Mitchell's dynamic passing and intelligence would pair perfectly with SGA and Chet Holmgren. With all seven seasons of Mitchell's career spent with a tall big man ready to catch lobs, he could elevate OKC's pick-and-roll lethality immediately.

Financially, OKC would take on almost $30 million more in salary. They may prefer to include larger salaries in place of Joe to balance out their sheets, but they may also welcome the increase in payroll while still holding onto other larger contracts for a later trade.

How does this deal affect Cleveland, though?