Last week, the Cleveland Cavaliers shocked the NBA by landing star guard Donovan Mitchell in a trade with the Utah Jazz.
Though the Cavs had been mentioned as contenders in the Mitchell sweepstakes, the general consensus around the league was that the three-time All-Star would end up with the New York Knicks. The Knicks had ample conversations with the Jazz, and a deal felt very imminent at times.
After all, the Knicks had the players and future picks to get a deal done. As it turns out, some within the Cavs organization believed that the Knicks could have outbid the Cavs.
“Throughout their two-month, off-and-on dialogue with Utah, Cleveland decision-makers were pessimistic,” Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com wrote. “The price seemed too high. The Jazz seemed more interested in the Knicks’ package. Multiple members of the Cavs organization believed New York could have — and should have — beaten their offer. Until the very end, the Cavs didn’t think they would have the winning bid.”
Interestingly enough, a recent report indicated that the Knicks also believed that they made a better offer than the Cavs did.
Another rumor that has percolated since the deal got done has to do with the Knicks potentially sending Mitchell to Cleveland as “payback” for him wanting out in the first place. If that was the Jazz’s goal in dealing Mitchell to the Cavs, it seems their attempt fell flat.
Mitchell was reportedly ecstatic when he heard the news that the Cavs had traded for him while managing to hold onto their young core. There’s a lot of reasons for Mitchell to be excited. Even before he joined them, the Cavs were to be considered one of the most exciting young teams in the league.
Now, some have declared that the Cavs have one of the most talented rosters in the league. However, that’s all about talent on paper.
Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is going to have to find a style of play that not only utilizes all the talent on the floor, but also accentuates it. That task is easier said than done.
