Cleveland Cavaliers: 6 Trade targets that would perfectly complement Donovan Mitchell
As the Cleveland Cavaliers prepare to head into the NBA offseason, we explore six trade targets that would perfectly complement Donovan Mitchell.
At this point, roughly one month before the official start of the NBA offseason, which will be marked by the 2024 NBA Draft, it seems that the Cleveland Cavaliers are in a good place when it comes to getting a commitment from Donovan Mitchell. It's not pen-to-paper official, but things are certainly trending in the right direction. And if I had to guess, I'd assume Mitchell is going to sign an extension with Cleveland this summer.
If that ends up happening, there's a good chance the Cavs will target a supporting star (likely by using Darius Garland and/or Jarrett Allen) that would complement Mitchell better moving forward. With that possibility very much in place, we explore six supporting stars that would complement Mitchell and the Cavs perfectly.
Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers
Even though Austin Reaves has blossomed into the headling star that perhaps the Los Angeles Lakers thought he could be, he's still an awfully good supporting piece for the Lakers. If Los Angeles wanted to find their long-term answer at the point guard position, there's a case to be made that Darius Garland makes sense as a potential target. I can't help but wonder how a swap of Garland for Reaves and Rui Hachimura could end up working for both sides. The Lakers would get their dynamic playmaking offensive guard and the Cavs would add more depth around Mitchell.
Reaves, specifically, has proven that he can be an effective supporting piece and can find ways to be effective while playing off-ball. A Mitchell-Reaves combo would fit more naturally than Mitchell-Garland in the backcourt for Cleveland. If Evan Mobley can take another step forward in his game, the Cavs will still have two strong stars with an even stronger supporting cast.
Looking at the teams that have been successful this season, except the Boston Celtics, this seems to be the new formula in the NBA - having two strong stars and a deep supporting cast after that.