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The Cleveland Cavaliers just shook up the NBA by trading for Donovan Mitchell

By Chad Porto

CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 05: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz drives to the basket around Darius Garland #10 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on December 05, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Jazz defeated the Cavaliers 109-108. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 05: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz drives to the basket around Darius Garland #10 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on December 05, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Jazz defeated the Cavaliers 109-108. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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Holy balls, Donovan Mitchell is a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have traded for Donovan Mitchell and the NBA is formally on notice. The team made the deal on Thursday, ending the speculation of what the Jazz will do with their All-Star shooting guard. He’s heading to the Cavs and it’s a massive deal.

The Jazz will be getting Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, and Ochai Agbaji, along with three first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps. Sexton has agreed to a new deal as part of the trade, locking him in with the Jazz for four years and $72 million.

The word is that Mitchell really wanted to play in Cleveland, so much so that when he found out that Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Kevin Love weren’t included in the deal, Mitchell went running around the golf course out of excitement.

Donovan Mitchell’s arrival in Cleveland makes them a genuine contender

I’m not going to get bent out of shape over losing Markkanen and an extra first-round pick. I thought the deal could have been done with Caris LeVert, Sexton, Agbaji, and four picks (two firsts and two swaps), but I’m not that mad about it.

Markkanen was a good piece but Mitchell is someone the Cavs really are going to get a lot out of.  He’s a far stronger, and faster player than Sexton and doesn’t have the same injury history as the former Cavs shooting guard. He’s an instant upgrade by a sizeable margin over Sexton.

His scoring and physicality on the offense will make the Cavs a very real, very tangible contender in the East. Yes, Mitchell isn’t a perfect player and lacks the three-point shooting the NBA is accustomed to by many of the NBA’s finest, but he’s truly an impressive scorer and doesn’t have to settle for mid-range stuff as Sexton did.

The biggest complaint, however, is that the Cavs only got Mitchell for a pretty huge haul. Adding someone like Jordan Clarkson or Bojan Bogdanovic to the package would’ve been a much better return but hey, you win some and you lose some.

The Cavs are now sitting pretty and will have one of the more dynamic offenses in the NBA.

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