Grade the Trade: Cavaliers trade Mitchell for broken former star in new pitch
Reviewing a trade proposal for Donovan Mitchell
Fanspo as a website deserves a lot of credit for building trade machines for multiple sports that are customizable, accurate and easy to use. They allow fans and media members to fully engage with trade season and see what is necessary to make a deal legal.
Where they sometimes struggle is in building the fake trades themselves. That is incredibly clear when you examine one of their latest creations, a deal that would send Donovan Mitchell to the Brooklyn Nets:
Mitchell trade for Ben Simmons
The appeal here for the Nets is obvious. They get a bona fide offensive superstar in Donovan Mitchell, a player who has expressed his love for New York City and listed the Nets among his preferred teams when the Jazz were shopping him last year. They get off of the contract of Ben Simmons and use a pair of future picks to make it worth the Cavs' while.
Do they bite? Let's look at this deal from the Cavaliers' angle.