Could Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell be traded this summer?
He has only one season left on his contract, and Cleveland is on the verge of being eliminated in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Cavs might not want to risk losing Mitchell for no compensation in 2025 — should he indicate uncertainty regarding his long-term plans.
If Mitchell is unwilling to sign an extension in Cleveland, longtime NBA insider Brian Windhorst is watching a few teams as potential suitors. In a recent television appearance on ESPN, he mentioned the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets as teams to watch on the Mitchell front. Windhorst added:
There will probably be more suitors. Houston, potentially.
Mitchell is slated to make $35.4 million in the 2024-25 season, when he will be 28 years old.
In terms of a potential deal, the Rockets have sufficient salary matching options. The bigger questions surround asset value.
Brian Windhorst mentioned Houston as a possible landing spot for Donovan Mitchell this summer 👀
(h/t @erikslater_ )
— V̷a̷t̷o̷r̷ (@VatorSports) May 15, 2024
For starters, would Mitchell be willing to commit to a new contract with the Rockets (41-41), who haven’t yet broken .500 in their rebuild? If not, it would likely be too risky for Houston to make the peak bid, since Mitchell could leave for no compensation in 2025.
If Mitchell was willing to extend with the Rockets, Houston has intriguing assets to offer Cleveland between a “core six” of recently drafted first-round prospects (Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore); the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NBA draft; and three more years of unprotected first-round assets via Brooklyn.
But, with the Rockets not yet on the cusp of immediate title contention, it remains to be seen how many of those younger assets general manager Rafael Stone would be willing to surrender.
If Mitchell expressed a desire to go to Houston specifically, that leverage might drive down the asking price, since other teams probably wouldn’t bid too aggressively on a player (even an All-Star) who doesn’t want to play there and isn’t willing to commit to his next contract. The question is, why would Mitchell prioritize the improved but still-building Rockets to that extent? Is head coach Ime Udoka that much of a draw? It’s not implausible, but it’s a lot to ask.
With that in mind, it’s a long shot for those dominoes to fall in line. But it’s a subplot worth monitoring as the 2024 offseason nears.
A 6-foot-3 shooting guard, Mitchell has averaged 27.5 points (47.5% FG, 37.8% on 3-pointers), 5.2 assists, and 4.6 rebounds in 35.6 minutes over his two seasons in Cleveland.
