If the Cleveland Cavaliers decide to trade Donovan Mitchell this offseason, here are five potential landing spots for him.
The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the 2023-24 NBA season ready to prove doubters wrong following a poor performance in the playoffs a year ago. Cleveland was armed with star guard Donovan Mitchell leading the charge, surrounded by plenty of young talented players. However, the end result was more of the same for the Cavaliers.
Cleveland barely squeaked out of the first round against the Magic, winning in a tough seven-game series. They then matched up with the juggernaut Boston Celtics and fell in five games. To the credit of the Cavaliers, they did grab a win in Game 2 of the series, but Mitchell missed the final two games due to a calf strain. Even if he had played, it was always unlikely for Cleveland to upset Boston.
Now that the Cavaliers are out, much larger decisions loom for Cleveland, including that Mitchell’s fate. There had already been talk about Mitchell potentially forcing his way out of town this summer and with another short playoff stint, that talk has now become more of a reality.
He has two years left on his current contract, including a player option on the final season, but many around the league believe he will leave Cleveland. The Cavs will likely offer him a large extension this summer but if the star guard rejects it, Cleveland will need to move him before he leaves for nothing. Assuming Mitchell does reject an extension, here are five potential trade destinations for him this offseason.
1. New York Knicks
The Knicks would likely be seen as one of the favorites to land Mitchell if he were to become available this summer.
