Grade the Trade: Donovan Mitchell dealt to Big Apple in latest fantasy pitch

The Cleveland Cavaliers are not looking to trade Donovan Mitchell at this time.

That's the current reporting on the situation, by the ever-reliable Jake Fischer and others. The Cavaliers gave up a lot to bring Donovan Mitchell into the fold, and despite his 2025 free agency looming in the recent future they are committed to letting this group of players, with Mitchell at the head, continue to fight for playoff success.

The Cavaliers are hoping that a playoff run with this group, one with everyone back healthy when they win at least one series and are competitive -- in a way that last year's five-game exit was not -- will convince Mitchell to re-sign. The other side of that coin, then, is what it will take to convince the Cavaliers to change their mind and trade Mitchell.

What would it take to trade Donovan Mitchell?

If Mitchell goes to the Cavaliers and asks for a trade, or at the least tells the team he is not going to sign an extension, the front office could be motivated to move him by the Trade Deadline in February. If the season completely falls apart during the injury absences of Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, that likewise could spur them to undergo a soft reset. The strong play of the team over the past two weeks, going 5-1 without those two stars, likely insulates them from that possibility.

What if the offer for Mitchell was strong enough? Would the Cavaliers be willing to move on from Mitchell if the trade package checked enough boxes, sending draft capital, young players and proven veterans?

Let's see if such a deal does exist by evaluating a trade proposal pitched by Bleacher Report.