NBA Rumors: The Cleveland Cavaliers have no plans of trading Donovan Mitchell. Will that prove to be the smartest move for the team?
Sitting as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference standings, the Cleveland Cavaliers have struggled to settle into the contender that many penciled them into being before the start of the season. And their early-season struggles haven't helped any. Adding to their inconsistencies is the fact that Darius Garland and Evan Mobley are expected to miss multiple weeks due to injuries.
The hope is that both are back for the push toward the playoffs but there's no knowing where the Cavs will be in the standings at that point in the season. Because of this no-so-ideal start to the season, it's naturally led to some big questions surrounding this team's future - with Donovan Mitchell at the center of it all.
Mitchell has one more year remaining on his contract after this season and all signs thus far point to him not re-signing with the Cavs once his contract ends. Generally, that would push a team toward exploring a trade for Mitchell. Or, at the very least, planning for that inevitability. However, not for the Cavs.
Despite the trade whispers that are growing surrounding Mitchell, the Cavs still don't have any plans of trading him. With the NBA Trade Deadline quickly approaching, Mitchell's future with the team has become one of the bigger talking points. At least up until now, the Cavs don't appear to be showing any willingness to entertain the thought of trading Mitchell.
Why the Cleveland Cavaliers should not trade Donovan Mitchell
Even though a natural next step for the Cavs would be to trade Mitchell, especially if all the whispers are indeed true, it's also hard to blame Cleveland for not wanting to completely abandon this core just yet.
When you think of it, the Cavs have the most talented collection of players that they've had on their roster since LeBron James. Cleveland also just made the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season. To think that they're going to throw in the towel just because the future doesn't look to be in their favor? That's pretty much the story of the Cavs franchise.
The Cavs should go down with the ship. At the worst, they have two more playoff runs with Mitchell, Garland, and Mobley. At best, they are successful enough over the next couple of seasons that Mitchell ends re-signing long term.
The Cavs shouldn't be in any rush to entertain the thought of trading Mitchell and it doesn't appear as if they are.