One of the biggest trades of the NBA offseason was made between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Utah Jazz. Looking to cement themselves as one of the contenders in the Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers joined the Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes at the 11th hour and pulled off a blockbuster trade for the three-time All-Star.
The price for acquiring him wasn’t nearly as steep as reported for other teams, but the Cavaliers did part with a good amount of assets in the deal. Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, and Ochai Agbaji, a first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, were sent to Salt Lake City along with three unprotected first-round picks in 2025, 2027, and 2029 and pick swaps in 2026 and 2027.
It is a deal that both teams likely feel like they did well in. Mitchell is having the best season of his career offensively, playing alongside Darius Garland in the backcourt. He is averaging a career-high 29.2 points per game on an efficient .506/.431/.891 shoot splits as he is knocking on the door of the illustrious 50/40/90 club.
Along with the high scoring average, Mitchell is handing out 4.4 assists to go along with 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. With the onus no longer being squarely on his shoulders offensively, Mitchell has been able to tap into the defensive potential that he showcased collegiately at Louisville and get the job done on that end as well.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers & Utah Jazz Updates
The Jazz have cooled off a little bit since their hot start but they are still more competitive than most people imagined they would be. They are currently 17-15 heading into their first matchup with Mitchell on Monday night since the trade this offseason.
While speaking to Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune, Mitchell opened up about being traded by the Jazz. He has admitted that he thought he was heading home to the New York Knicks but still believes that ending up in Cleveland has proven to be a win-win for everyone involved.
“I look at it as a win-win. Everybody’s flourishing, doing well, happy, and sometimes a new beginning is just what you need. That’s for both sides. I don’t know what the vibe is in the locker room over there, but when I talked to the guys it just seemed like a fresh breath. Sometimes your time just runs out. I just think for me personally, I’ve said this on several occasions, I’m happy in a different way. They seem to be that as well, they’re playing well as a group. I’ve watched a bunch of games. It’s great to see both sides thriving after something that took a whole summer to kind of figure out.”
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers & Utah Jazz Updates
The Jazz have received excellent production from Markkanen, who is having a career season of his own while averaging 22.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. Sexton has been solid off the bench for most of the season, averaging 14.3 points and 3.0 assists per game, but this is a trade that Utah could benefit from for years to come.
The draft compensation that they received was the main attraction of the deal. They have a ton of flexibility in the coming years, thanks to the draft picks they acquired from the Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves in the Rudy Gobert trade.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers & Utah Jazz Updates
Markannen looks like the cornerstone piece the Chicago Bulls had hoped he would be when they selected him 7th overall in 2017 will make their rebuild much easier.
