Report: Cavaliers Have Decided Trade Deadline Approach For Donovan Mitchell
By Jovan Alford
As we get closer to next month’s NBA trade deadline, the Cleveland Cavaliers will likely be buyers instead of sellers.
Donovan Mitchell’s name has been thrown around in multiple trade rumors and hypothetical trade proposals despite being in the third year of a five-year contract extension he signed with the Utah Jazz in 2020.
However, the Cavaliers have the fourth-best record in the East (22-15) and are off to a 4-1 start this month. It would probably be in the Cavs’ best interest to keep Mitchell and the rest of their young core.
Cavaliers Rumors: Cleveland Plans To Ride Out Season With Donovan Mitchell
Sam Vecenie of The Athletic wrote Monday that his impression from league sources is that the Cavs are planning to ride out this season with Mitchell. It doesn’t come as a surprise as the Cavaliers are the fourth-best team in the Association.
Cleveland is 2.5 games behind the Sixers for third in the East after Philadelphia beat Houston on Monday afternoon. It wouldn’t make any sense for the Cavs to trade Mitchell unless they wanted to just blow it up.
The Cavaliers have a nice core with Mitchell, Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen that can compete in the East. Can this core get to the Eastern Conference Finals? Probably not, but the Cavs need to focus on making it out of the first round with Mitchell after losing to the Knicks last year.
Mitchell is averaging 27.9 points, 5.7 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game this season. He’s also shooting 45.7% from the field and 34.9% from beyond the arc. The veteran combo guard’s shooting percentages are lower than last year’s. However, he’s the Cavs' best player and will take them as far as he can.
With the Cavaliers reportedly keeping Mitchell, fans should consider putting down a wager on their upcoming games on FanDuel Sportsbook. Cleveland fans just have to bet $5 and get $150 in bonus bets whether the Cavs win or lose. It’s a fantastic promo that fans should take advantage of throughout the rest of the regular season.
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