Cleveland Cavaliers He was eliminated in the second round of the Playoffs at the hands of the Boston Celtics in convincing fashion. Does that mean that Donovan Mitchell Do you already have your departure from the team marked?
That’s going to be the great history of this market. The Cavs want to retain Mitchell, even more so after his dominant performance in the Playoffs, in which he battled several injuries but still managed to average 29.6 points per game. He was the best player in the series against the Celtics, which shows why he would want to leave.
Mitchell is in his prime at 27 years old. The Cavs are a good team but with serious doubts about how to reach the fight for the championship. Donovan will be a free agent in the summer of 2025 if he declines his player option, which is likely. Every team in the league will want to sign Mitchell at that point. Will he choose to stay in Cleveland or go to a team that is closer to winning it all?
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That answer seems to be up in the air. Owner Dan Gilbert has expressed optimism about Mitchell signing an extension this summer that would pay him 199 million dollars In the next four years, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Mitchell himself has not commented on the matter.
Even if Mitchell were to add years to his contract, there’s also a chance he’ll take the guaranteed money and request a trade later. After being traded to the Cavs, He admitted that he would have loved to play for the Knicks from his hometown. They remain a lurking possibility.
These are Mitchell’s most likely destinations, with the New York Knicks leading the way.
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The details of Donovan Mitchell’s contract
Mitchell will get paid 35.4 million dollars in the 2024-2025 season, with a 37.1 million player option for the 2025-2026 season that will almost certainly will reject.
Donovan Mitchell’s possible transfer destinations
New York Knicks
Mitchell and the Knicks have been linked for years. New York tried to trade for him in 2022, before being outbid by Cleveland.
Their best offer then, according to several reports, was RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and two unprotected first-round picks. This time they could make an even more convincing proposal.
The Cavs struggled to score in the postseason. Julius Randle doesn’t fit right in with them, given how clogged he is in the frontcourt, but at least he can create offense and was an All-Star last season. He includes it more for his equivalent salary than for anything else.
The big draw here is the draft picks. and the possibility of the Cavs redesigning their roster to make it a better fit. The Knicks can offer up to eight first-round picks. They could send this year’s 24th pick, along with unprotected picks in 2026 and 2028. If that’s not enough, the Knicks could keep adding picks until the Cavs have an offer too good to pass up.
Mitchell y Jalen Brunson they would instantly form a backcourt strong enough to challenge the Celtics as the best team in the Eastern Conference. New York would have some of the best role players in the league to accompany these two offensive dynamos.
The Knicks have been patiently waiting for a player like him to become available, and Mitchell has only gotten better since they last coveted him.
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Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers can trade away their own 17th pick in this year’s draft along with first-round picks in 2029 and 2031. It will take all of those picks to make a competitive offer for Mitchell.
D’Angelo Russell has a player option for next season. If he opts for her, the Lakers will have the cleanest way to match Mitchell’s outgoing salary, pairing him with Rui Hachimura. If Russell opts to be a free agent, then things get a lot more complicated. Austin Reaves and Jalen Hood-Schifino might have to be included as substitute salaries.
The Lakers don’t have the draft capital of the Knicks, so they would have to hope that New York doesn’t go all out in their pursuit. Los Angeles has up to five second-round picks to add to its three first-round picks.
Multiple sources expect the Lakers to consider trading Mitchell if he does not sign a contract extension this summer. This is pretty close to what they would offer the Cavs then, as it is the best deal they can make.
Miami Heat
If Mitchell asked for a trade, would anyone be surprised if he chose Miami? He good weather, the absence of state taxes and the franchise prestige make the Heat a popular request whenever stars move. Besides, Spida He maintains a close relationship with Bam Adebayo and has Miami at the top of his destination list, According to Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus. Here’s how they would get it.
Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez get Miami to match Mitchell’s salary. Herro has long been a polarizing player. There is no doubt that he can score. The ex Sixth Man of the Year has averaged more than 20 points in each of his last three seasons. The Cavs have been at their best when they’ve increased their 3-point volume, and Herro could help them fully lean into that style of play. His defensive limitations would be masked by Mobley and Allen behind him.
Jaquez was one of the most pleasant surprises of this crop of rookies. He is an old school post scorer who can shoot with great fundamentals. He knows how to play without the ball and He would fit perfectly on this Cavs team. Miami would be reluctant to give him up, but Mitchell would be the type of high-end player they could reluctantly do it for.
The Heat don’t have much to offer in the way of draft picks. They could trade their 15th pick in 2024 along with their unprotected first rounders in 2029 and 2031. Considering how far away those picks are and how Jimmy Butler’s time in the league is running out, they could be great picks.
This would give the Heat an impressive core of Butler, Mitchell and Adebayo, while leaving the Cavs with one of the best groups of young talent in the league. If Mitchell appears on the verge of leaving, the Cavs could make the jump to the next version of their team.
2024-05-16 21:33:44
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