Cavaliers injuries could lead to Donovan Mitchell trade

Darius Garland and Evan Mobley are the Cavaliers' two most important young players. Garland, the No. 5 pick in the 2019 draft, made the All-Star team in 2022 and has averaged over 20 points per game in the last three seasons. Mobley was the No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft and is averaging 16 points and 10.5 rebounds this year while shooting 57.3 percent.

Garland broke his jaw colliding with Kristaps Porzingis Thursday, while Mobley opted for knee surgery after missing four games with knee soreness. Garland will be out four weeks, while Mobley is out "six to eight weeks," which means he won't be back before the trade deadline in February.

One year after having the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers are sitting in ninth place with a 13-12 record. They'll have to play short-handed against teams directly behind them in the standings, the Toronto Raptors, Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls. That could determine whether Cleveland can rise above the play-in pack.

If they can't, they may consider moving Mitchell, who can become an unrestricted free agent after the 2024-25 season. He's already said he won't sign an extension in Cleveland this season, and finishing in the bottom half of the conference won't help Cleveland's leverage.

With few dominant teams in the NBA this season, Mitchell's trade value might be at its peak come February, as a number of teams may believe they're one All-Star away from title contention. Garland and Mobley are just 23 and 22 years old, respectively, so trading Mitchell to reload the roster might be Cleveland's wisest long-term move. Especially since expecting any NBA player to return promptly from knee surgery is a risky proposition.

But Cleveland shouldn't panic yet. If they can stay above .500 through Jan. 1, it'll get six games in the five weeks against the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs and Washington Wizards, who have a combined record of 8-62. No matter how their young stars are healing, playing the three worst teams in the NBA will make the Cavs feel a lot better.