Report: Jazz viewed sending Donovan Mitchell to Cavs instead of Knicks as ‘payback’ for wanting out

By Jason Simpson
Updated: September 5, 2022

Donovan Mitchell is the newest member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he figures to take the team to new heights in the 2022-23 season.

He gave the Utah Jazz five stellar seasons before his time with the organization came to an end last week, and he certainly did a lot for the team during his time there.

However, according to reporter Ric Bucher, the Jazz weren’t looking to do Mitchell any favors when they traded him.

Why Donovan Mitchell wound up with the Cavs…(Learned yet another reason after recording the podcast: some Jazz officials were not happy that Mitchell wanted out and viewed sending him to CLE — rather than home to NY — as payback) https://t.co/2KhwmHzwt5 via @acast

— Ric Bucher (@RicBucher) September 4, 2022

If the Jazz really did send Mitchell to the Cavs as a form of payback, it seems their mission may have failed because the guard seems more than happy to be with the Cavs.

The 25-year-old was reportedly golfing and went “screaming around the golf course” in excitement upon finding out that the Cavs managed to keep their core players together while trading for him.

With Cleveland, the three-time All-Star will join an extremely talented and young group that has high hopes for the future. He projects to start alongside Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

Beyond those players, the Cavs also have plenty of talent on their bench, including Caris LeVert, Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio, Robin Lopez and others.

It was a fun 2021-22 season for Cleveland, but the team wasn’t able to reach its full potential due to injuries. The squad took an exit in the play-in tournament after going 44-38 in the regular season.

Since the Cavs weren’t able to make the playoffs last season, they’re still looking for their first playoff bid since the 2017-18 campaign. It seems like they’re in great shape to accomplish that goal in the upcoming season.

Mitchell may not have landed back in his home state of New York, but Cavs fans will surely make him feel at home in Cleveland. He’s likely going to provide fans with some unforgettable moments during his time with the team.

Last season, Mitchell averaged 25.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per contest. It’ll be interesting to see what his production is like this season now that he’s set to play alongside Garland.