Sat, Sep 3, 2022 at 3:45pm

DONOVAN MITCHELL MOVES TO CLEVELAND!

The Cleveland Cavaliers acquired guard Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz for forward/center Lauri Markkanen, guard Collin Sexton, guard/forward Ochai Agbaji, a first-round draft pick in 2025, a first-round draft pick in 2027, a first-round draft pick in 2029, the right to swap first-round draft picks in 2026 and the right to swap first-round draft picks in 2028.

What does it give the Cleveland Cavaliers
This trade is a massive move for the Cavaliers, who surprised many by coming very close to reaching the playoffs in 2021-22. Now, with Mitchell leading the way from the backcourt, Cleveland should be a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference. Mitchell is a big upgrade over either Sexton or Agbaji, one of whom was expected to play the shooting guard role this season. The cost to acquire Mitchell was steep, but such is life in the NBA when attempting to build a winning program.

What does it give the Utah Jazz
The Jazz decided to go into full-blown rebuilding mode after trading center Rudy Gobert to Minnesota earlier in the off-season. Therefore, it is no surprise that Mitchell is next to depart Salt Lake City. Utah's rebuild should not be infinitely long, either. The three players acquired from Cleveland in this deal are all young enough to stick around for the long haul, if the Jazz choose to keep them. Furthermore, Utah is loaded with draft picks for the future. There are rebuilding the team fairly quickly.

Fantasy impact
Mitchell's value in fantasy circles may actually dip a little bit after this move, since he is no longer the only major scoring weapon on his team. That said, he remains an elite guard. Sexton and Agbaji should be in better situations now as members of the Jazz, though their roles may continue to be intertwined. Sexton has more fantasy appeal than Agbaji at this time. Markkanen will likely go back to playing as more of a big man in Utah, after spending a lot of time at small forward in Cleveland's hulking frontcourt. That said, his numbers figure to remain stagnant.

Player focus

Cleveland Cavaliers

Donovan Mitchell G

Utah Jazz

Lauri Markkanen F

Collin Sexton G

Ochai Agbaji F/G

Draft pick - Round 1 in 2025

Draft pick - Round 1 in 2027

Draft pick - Round 1 in 2029

right to swap first-round draft picks - Round 1 in 2026

right to swap first-round draft picks - Round 1 in 2028