4 reasons Donovan Mitchell was the perfect player to trade for

Despite what some may say, the Donovan Mithcell trade makes all the sense in the world

The Cleveland Cavaliers made a game-changing trade last week with the acquisition of Donovan Mitchell. The shooting guard came here from the Utah Jazz in exchange for Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, and Ochai Agbaji, with three first-round picks, and two potential first-round draft swaps.

It was a huge trade, and many believe that it finalized the rebuild the Cavs have been conducting over the last few years. Not everyone is a fan of the move, however, as some don’t see Mitchell being that much better than Sexton. It’s not a sentiment I agree with, as Mitchell is a far more dynamic and versatile scorer.

Another talking point was why the Cavs went with Mithcell over someone like Kevin Durant. Durant didn’t get traded because the price tag on him was too high, and in 2022, Durant is a “better” player than Mitchell. So why did the Cavs pay, or overpay as some suggest, for a guy like Mitchell who many believe isn’t a true top guy on a team, as opposed to Durant? Well, we’re going to discuss that.

Four reasons why the Cavs’ trade for Donovan Mitchell made sense

Donovan Mitchell isn’t in his prime yet

When you look at guys like Kevin Durant, they’re pushing their mid to late 30s. They’re nearly done as an elite player, and no matter how good of a scorer he is, he’s getting older. Donovan Mitchell, however, is in his mid-20s and hasn’t even hit his best basketball yet. This takes us to…

The time-line matches up

With a guy like Durant, he might be done in two years depending on injuries and age. He’s about to turn 34 after all, and despite what we see with guys like LeBron James, 34 is pretty old in the NBA. Durant doesn’t fit the timeline of the Cavs, because, by the time he’s done with his contract, he’ll be 38 and likely out of the league or about to be. Mitchell, however, is at the same age as the rest of his new teammates. There’s no concern that he’ll be done at the end of his contract and if he is, then something terrible has truly happened. So this team should be more competitive for longer than had someone like Durant joined the team.

The Cavs are young enough that the picks they lost won’t matter

This isn’t the NFL where you can find a roster and room for each new draft pick eventually. The NBA only allows 15 players per team, making those two-round drafts necessary for some and a luxury for others. Right now, the Cavs only have two players over 30 who the team expects to contribute this season. This is a young team and they only have so many spots on their squad. These young rookies they would’ve drafted would’ve sat for years before getting the chance to play. What’s the point of an asset wasting away at the end of the bench?

Donovan Mitchell now becomes a trade asset for the Cavs

The Cavs have Mitchell for three years, plus a player-option fourth. By the time the Cavs get to the end of his contract, he won’t even be 30 yet. The Cavaliers could easily trade him if there isn’t interest in re-signing, and the Cavs could probably get back whatever they lost value-wise, if not, more. Barring something unforeseen, of course. Going after a guy like Durant, you don’t have that option. A 38-year-old Durant, making $50 million per year is going to cripple a team’s flexibility and leverage in any trade. So Mitchell is a far better-looking asset in that regard.