In a shocking move, the Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired star guard Donovan Mitchell via trade from the Utah Jazz.
The move was first reported by ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowksi.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired Donovan Mitchell in a trade, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 1, 2022
The move comes as a massive surprise, as the Cavs had reportedly removed themselves from consideration in the Mitchell sweepstakes.
To get the deal done, the Cavs reportedly traded three unprotected first-round picks as well as two pick swaps. It is a massive haul for a Jazz team that is now deeply committed to building towards the future.
Cleveland will send three unprotected first round picks and two pick swaps as part of the deal to Utah for Mitchell, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/vfphmFMIAf
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 1, 2022
Beyond that, it looks like a Collin Sexton sign-and-trade was also part of the deal. Sexton’s future in Cleveland was already in doubt, and now it is official that he will be moving on as part of the deal.
Cleveland will send Lauri Markkanen, Colin Sexton and Ochai Agbaji to Utah in the package for Donovan Mitchell, league sources tell @YahooSports.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) September 1, 2022
With Mitchell, the Cavs now get a clear starter at the shooting guard position. He is just 25 years old and is already widely considered to be one of the best guards in the league. He averaged 25.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game last season.
Perhaps even more importantly, the Cavs will now have a leader in their starting lineup who has ample playoff experience. Mitchell has led the Jazz to the playoffs in all five of his NBA seasons. While he has never been able to get his team further than the second round, it is still valuable playoff experience.
Mitchell will surely benefit from joining the Cavs as well. He has an incredible young core around him who he can grow alongside. Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen already formed one of the best young cores in the NBA.
With Thursday’s trade, a real argument can be made that the Cavs are now one of the best teams in the league. The post-LeBron James rebuild is over.
In Cleveland, the time is now.
