There may not be a team in the NBA under as much pressure to perform once the postseason gets underway as the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland made a huge splash during the 2022 offseason, acquiring Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz.
That has quickly turned their fortunes, as they have been one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference since adding him to the lineup. However, there has been plenty of rumbling that Cleveland isn’t where Mitchell will stay long-term.
Speculation has run rampant that Mitchell will look to leave Cleveland as a free agent in 2025 barring a run to the NBA Finals. That is the opposite of what Cavaliers’ owner Dan Gilbert recently said, as he made a bold prediction, expressing confidence that Mitchell would sign a long-term deal with the team.
No one else has expressed the kind of confidence that Gilbert has about Mitchell’s long-term outlook in Cleveland. While the team is having its most success without LeBron James leading the way in decades, it has never felt as if Mithcell was long for the Cavaliers.
If they are getting the feeling that Mitchell will depart without a deep playoff run this season, trade rumors will swirl. The Cavaliers don’t want to move Mitchell, but it would be bad for business if they allow him to hit free agency and depart without receiving anything in return.
Where could he end up going? Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report has suggested that the Los Angeles Lakers could be a potential landing spot for Mitchell should the Cavaliers look to trade him during the NBA offseason.
It is no secret that the Lakers would love to add a third star alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. It is something that has been rumored for a while, as Kyrie Irving was previously linked to the franchise and Trae Young was a more recent potential trade target.
With James not having many more seasons left in his NBA career, a Mitchell/Davis long-term pairing could be something the Lakers want to go all-in on. This offseason is a big one for Los Angeles, as they also have a major free agent decision of their own if James declines his player option for the 2024-25 season.
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