When the Cleveland Cavaliers managed to acquire Donovan Mitchell via trade, it was seen as a massive win that they did not have to give up any key players. Those players include point guard Darius Garland and big men Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.
In fact, Mitchell admitted that he was afraid the Cavs had parted ways with one of those players to complete the trade.
“The only thing for me was — who are we as Cleveland giving up?” he said during a recent appearance on Adrian Wojnarowski’s podcast. “I can look at a roster and say, ‘That’d be great. That’d be great,’ but after seeing what Rudy [Gobert] got traded for, I’m like, ‘Okay, is Darius going to be here, is Jarrett gonna be, is Evan? Who is here?’ And then when I got traded, that was my initial thought.”
Mitchell went on to reveal that when he learned that the Cavs had been able to complete the deal while also holding onto the aforementioned players, he immediately got the sense that he and the Cavs could really build something special.
“That’s where that excitement and joy came about,” he said.
One of the first reports regarding Mitchell following the deal had to do with him joyfully “screaming around the golf course” that he was playing at when he got the news of the details of the trade. Without a doubt, there is a lot to be excited about.
Live now on The Land on Demand, @WindhorstESPN
Donovan Mitchell was on the golf course when he heard the news, and he ran in excitement when he found out who was still on the @cavs
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) September 1, 2022
Not only are Garland, Allen and Mobley incredible talents, but all three of them also seem to be fantastic fits next to Mitchell.
In the backcourt, Garland will continue his role as a playmaking point guard who is always looking to find the open man while also being able to get his own shot at will. Mitchell will benefit greatly from not getting as many double teams, giving him even more freedom to find his shot or cut to the basket.
Fans got a preview of Mitchell and Garland on the court together earlier this summer when they both took part in a Miami pro-am game.
https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1566131802158276615
As for Mobley and Allen, their defensive prowess will likely be very valuable when it comes to giving Mitchell the defensive support he often needs. Moreover, Allen’s ability to score inside the paint will offer a great safety valve for Mitchell if things start to clog up.
Mobley has just started to scratch the surface of what people believe he will eventually be capable of on offense. Despite the fact that the Cavs now have three All-Stars on the roster in Mitchell, Garland and Allen, it seems possible that Mobley could end up being the most talented of the bunch.
For all those reasons, it makes perfect sense why Mitchell was concerned with who the Cavs had to give up to land him and so excited to find out that the team had managed to maintain its core.
