It’s December in Cleveland, which can only mean one thing — the rest of the world wants Cleveland’s best players.
Oh, and they want the Cavaliers to give up those players for a used pair of sneakers and some crusty old gym socks.
But as I’ve written (and said on 92.3 The Fan), that’s not about to happen. The Cavs aren’t looking to make sweeping changes to the roster just because Darius Garland (jaw) and Evan Mobley (knee) are due to miss significant time.
They especially have no plans to trade Donovan Mitchell anytime soon, as far as we can gather. Right now, it’s all just social media rumors. Yes, social media rumors that are getting more traction lately, but baseless rumors nonetheless.
Instead, the Cavs (15-12) are fairly content with where they sit despite all the injuries, with 55 games still to go. We’re still 14 games away from the mid-season point.
Hoops Wire has confirmed the idea that the Cavs want to keep their players, and Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported he is hearing the same.
“(Mitchell is) still just 27 years old and has another guaranteed season left on his contract after this 2023-24 campaign,” Fischer wrote. “If the Cavaliers were to put Mitchell on the block tomorrow or in February before the trade deadline or next offseason, there would be a long line of suitors, the Knicks surely among them, willing to compete for his services with competitive offers.
Fischer was quick to add the following: “The Cavaliers, though, are not prepared to consider that exit strategy. Cleveland officials have maintained a commitment to this core of four All-Star talents, according to league sources, even with all the incessant chatter among rival executives that Mitchell will inevitably bolt when he can reach the unrestricted market in 2025.”
Yes, there is hope from the outside world that the Cavs are ready to give up on the season and will unload their most talented pieces. Unless things take an incredible turn for the worse, though, the outside world is about to have its hopes dashed.
More must-reads: