The Cavaliers have “removed themselves” from the Donovan Mitchell trade talks with the Jazz, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
Begley doesn’t provide any further details on the Cavs’ decision, but his update suggests that Cleveland wasn’t comfortable meeting Utah’s high asking price for Mitchell.
John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 identified the Cavaliers earlier this week as a team with interest in Mitchell, and Begley subsequently reported that Cleveland had “touched base” with Utah about the three-time All-Star guard.
Despite those reports, the Cavs always seemed like a long shot to acquire Mitchell, given that they were unlikely to part with Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen and had already traded away one of their future first-round picks.
[RELATED: Knicks, Nets, Heat Are Donovan Mitchell’s Preferred Destinations If He’s Traded]
The Wizards and Hornets are among the other teams that have been mentioned as Mitchell suitors. However, as Begley observes, the Knicks have looked throughout the process like the frontrunners for the 25-year-old, assuming he’s moved at all.
New York could offer RJ Barrett as a centerpiece or could build a package using a series of first-round picks. The Knicks have all their own future first-round selections and have acquired four extra protected first-rounders from other teams.
While the Knicks have the ability to make a strong offer for Mitchell, a Thursday report suggested the two teams aren’t close to a deal and stated that the Jazz are willing to hang onto their star guard rather than accept “90 cents on the dollar” for him.
The Knicks refuse to push guys like Barrett, toppin and Reddish to keep Derrick rose and waste money on Jalen Brunson. Jazz overvalued Mitchell too, Barrett would blow up on a team like that.
I’d do
LeVert, Osman and filler for Mitchell
Add 3 unprotected Firsts
Then Cavs are better than title contender Lakers
@sillivan that’s a huge overpay
Yes, Overpay
Overpay is the key to make trade.
No overpay, no stars.
I don’t think it’s an overpay. LeVert’s best days are behind him and Osman isn’t much than filler himself. If the Cavs pulled off this trade the value of those picks would drop considerably. They were a play in team last year, if they added Mitchell along with continued development from Mobley they could be the 5 seed and push Philly for the 4.
they were a play in team because of injury. dono isn’t worth a near 20 ppg scorer and 3 first round picks
What 20 ppg scorer other than Donovan is involved here? LaVert’s 28, injury prone and never played more than 71 games in a season.
lavert averaged 18 ppg last season
LaVert averaged 17 ppg last season to be exact.
yea sorry that was a typo
Correct, basically that would amount to a couple late 1st Rounders and two potential role players.
The Jazz at least want one young up and coming player ALONG with at least two firsts….
No way is the LeVert, Osman + picks offer TOO MUCH…That would be like the Jazz taking fifty cents on the dollar..
Besides, I can’t believe that Miami hasn’t at least offered picks, Herro, plus some filler, which would easily be a more competitive offer…To which the Jazz have likely turned down that offer as well, and if so, there’s no way that offer from Cleveland gets even a second thought…Certainly not an overpay at the VERY LEAST
Thank god you dont run the jazz.
Food for thought here:
Donovan Mitchell is a star with 4 years left on his deal. The Jazz are a team who know they cannot compete and are doing their best to position themselves for a quick rebuild. The Jazz feel that having Mitchell on their roster prevents them from achieving their main goal.
Kevin Durant is a star with 4 years left on his deal. The Nets are a team that tried to buy their way into contention and failed. KD knows that his best chance at achieving his goal (winning) is to join another roster. Remaining a Net prevents him from achieving this goal.
Why is KD the villain and Utah the hero? And if you’re reading this and itching to reply something about loyalty, this is KDs 3rd team. Spida has played for the Jazz his entire career. If the Jazz offered Donny that contract why are they not compelled to honor that contract the same way KD is?
Because the front office is allowed to make trades, that’s what it’s for. Durant signed his contract to play, not to make business decisions. It’s a different job. Unless the contract includes a no trade clause the front office can trade the player whenever they see fit. The players are not in charge, they’re employees.
For better or worse players of KD’s caliber are not just employees. When you sign a player of his stature you are entering into a partnership. His presence brings more to the team then your average superstar. KD wouldn’t have even signed there without implications that his input would be taken into consideration. Do you honestly think Luka had no influence on the firing of Carlisle?
I tend to agree actual superstar players (LBJ, Luka, Giannis, Jokic, Steph, KD, etc.) aren’t just employees. In KD’s case to the OPs question, I think the reason he’s painted as a villain is because he’s asking out of a situation he actively created (having Atkinson fired, hiring Nash, getting Kyrie, Harden, a washed up DeAndre Jordan).
I honestly agree with you Taco and Jonl, however it’s not completely equal. There should be influence when it’s a superstar but the ultimate decision should be the front office.
Thank you all for your logical responses. My biggest problem with all of this is that as you said Jaden, the front office is in charge of making decisions. So you’re either admitting that the Nets front office WAS NOT in control and that KD was or that the front office WAS in control and they led the Nets to the situation they currently are in. Does KD have the keys or not because if you’re letting him play GM why can’t he trade himself? And if he doesn’t have the keys then why does he not have the right to seek change from poor management? Just as a franchise has the right to seek change? If the argument is that the Nets are the ones offering the contract I’d argue that contract is only valuable to the Nets because of what KD brings, making that a pretty mutual deal.
Durant and ownership have BOTH stated that they have a “partnership”. KD is going nowhere. KD will win a championship with the Brooklyn Nets THIS season.
Nets have so many question marks.
Lol, I hope you stick around by the time next June is here.
For one are we sure this isn’t a mutual parting of ways here? Is there any evidence that DM would prefer to stay in Utah as opposed to going to NY/MIA? I haven’t heard any kicking and stomping from Mitchell’s camp at all.
That’s one difference.
Second difference is just the nature of contracts. If you sign a 1yr lease you’re signing a contract with a property management company. Said company can sell your building and your lease to another property mgmt company and it’s 100% legal.
But if you want to go rent another apartment 3 months into the lease you’re breaching said contract and may be subject to fees, etc. This is more or less how the CBA is set up as well.
TL;DR The players and their union have agreed to the terms of these contracts—so being like “but how come Giannis can’t trade HIMSELF??” is just a fundamental misunderstanding of the agreement that BOTH sides agreed to.
@buttholesurfer69 i love ur username
Lol thank you sir
San Antonio roots, or just a fan?
It’s really hard to compare NBA contracts to regular contracts. If I sign a one year lease with a property management company most of the time I can either look for another tenant for them to replace me or settle on a dollar amount so I can buy my lease out. They can sell the complex to some else, However under no circumstances can they trade me to another apartment complex in a different part of town or a whole new town.
That’s all true—yet all contracts have slightly different stipulations. I guess the important thing is that if both sides sign willingly then they’re legally binding, which is essentially what @bonercat has continually questioned: Why can’t Kevin Durant breach the contract he willingly signed?
In all seriousness, I’m genuinely pro-worker but I’m slightly baffled over hand-wringing for workers who are in the top 1% of earners in this country AND belong to a (very powerful) union.
Like if you think Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell are somehow getting raw deals because they can’t breach the terms THEIR OWN UNION agreed to then idk — maybe the world would be better off with no contracts and no unions, who knows? I personally don’t believe that but anything’s possible.
@Surfer @surfer I completely understand what you’re saying. I’m not crying or losing any sleep over Durant and sometimes maybe we look the past the fact that whomever Durant gets traded for may not be thrilled the prospect of going to Brooklyn.
To quote a semi-underground punk band from Texas…”You never know just how to look through other people’s eyes.”
On another note if I @ the first part of your username my comment is subject to moderation.
Lmao at the @ part. That’s a rhetorical strategy of the username
because the Nets are trying to compete and KD was the one asking out. Utah is clearly not trying to compete so there is no incentive to keep him. Mitchell also hasn’t officially asked out. This is coming from a Nets fan
Terrible analogy. Mitchell is no KD. No rings. No legacy. No hof. My god hes a smallish guard, hurt a bit who rarely plays defense. Ainge trying to get overpaid again doesn’t raise Mitchell to superstar status.
I don’t think people understand what a boss-employee relationship entails…
Owners and teams are the bosses, they are not equal partners with their employees…
Although we are talking about mgmt and employees, these agreements are fundamentally differnt than yor typical employment relationship. There is a saying, if you owe the bank one hundred dollars and can’t pay, you are in trouble, if you owe the bank one hundred million dollars and can’t pay, the bank has a problem. KD is worth way more to BKN than the contract he signed, so now BKN has a problem. I’m not sure what he is trying to accomplish, but I’m sure he is using the leverage that he has to influence the NBA in some way. He won’t have this leverage for long and the CBA is up for renegotiation, so he is striking while the iron is hot. BKN is going to pay him and cheer for him as long as he is unstoppable on the court. If nothing else KD is reminding this org who the fans are coming to see and if the mgmt think they just need to underpay him without addressing his other non-monetary demands and he will bow, they just learned how costly that can be to the brand. KD can survive this battle of attrition, I’m not sure BKN is so confident of the same.
I don’t necessarily disagree – and at the same time I’m thinking “If NO put Ingram in the deal; or, if the Grizz out JJJ in the deal…are we talking about the same situation…?”
And if the answer is “no” then who “won”? Was it KD flexing the might of his implied and actualized value to the organization or was it the organization saying “you can ask for whatever, but if we don’t get what we want for your contract – you suit up here”
KD was asking out. Doesn’t trust the Nets.
Donovan hasn’t said a single thing to the public about his situation. Feels like he trusts the Jazz. KD is therefore more controversial.
The Jazz said they don’t intend on trading him but said nobody is untouchable. Most of the noise since then is coming from outside the Jazz. The Nets, on the other hand, said they would listen to offers, and ultimately didn’t like any of them so they worked it out with KD.
Essentially, KD wasted everyone’s time. Donovan’s situation seems entirely reliant on the other teams ‘offers. That’s pretty standard for every player ever sought after. Doesn’t feel like much of a waste of time other than finding what isn’t enough. It’ll only be a waste of time if the Jazz go back on a offer they accept because they change their mind.
Honestly, I think a trade is much more likely to happen now then anytime before, when KD was available. Felt like everyone was waiting and stalling until then.
Durants the villain because he signed a contract to continue to play for the Nets when he could have become a free agent at the end of the season and go play for (other than the Lakers, because everyone is always going to the Lakers) Denver, the most logical choice for him. You have his ball mate in Green, Jocic, and plenty enough ball handling.
He wanted to move to Florida or Arizona because after playing in California and New York for the past 6 years, he was sick of PAYING SKY HIGH TAXES.
No state tax in Florida and Arizona has adopted what Texas does within the frame work of the state tax there which amounts to about 1 something percent for star pro athletes an star coaches.
Utah is the hero due to the fact that every year during the summer leauge in Vegas, the leauge throws a GM party so to speak with a fair amount of cool aid avaliable as a matter course.
At some point someone says I will trade xxx and the next thing you know every star in the leauge gets thrown on the table like domino’s.
Whom ever comes up with the most plausible trade that has lots of juicy potential as well, wins the what I call the, Media Beach Ball Award. A thing that allows them to write ad nausem articles about said trade as long as they can.
That’s why
I’ve noticed in baseball CA teams usually have to pay a tad extra on the open market
Raiders in the NFL seem to be capitalizing on the inverse out there in the desert which makes me happy
Taxes indeed play some part with some folk….Im just not sure KD is one of them tho…still think the extra marketing from NY/CA would offset the taxes in his case but who knows…interesting points you make tho
Mitchell is 25 young enough for the jazz to rebuild around friend,most especially after ainge ripped off the wolves. The nets are a legit contender as is with 34 year old KD. Contracts mean nothing in today’s NBA.
Connolly is the one that did the ripping.
Thank God the Cavaliers dropped out of pursuing Donovan Mitchell. He’s a great player, but we don’t need to be blowing up the team/mortgaging our future by trading for him. The Timberwolves were foolish to give away so much for Rudy Gobert. Now Danny Ainge is attempting to repeat his crime with Mitchell. We should be seeing Ainge’s picture on post office walls throughout the country after what he got away with regarding the Timberwolves and Gobert. I’m not a Knicks fan, but they’d be foolish to give up 4 #1’s or more to get Mitchell. If the Knicks do that, Dolan should have his team taken from him, for all the abuse he’s thrust upon New York fans.
You can see Ainge’s hands all over this situation. It’s the same MO as in Boston… massively win every trade.
The problem is he has a reputation for this now and so most GMs don’t want to trade with him.
It’s why he frittered away so many assets in his final handful of seasons in charge of the Celtics.
Danny Ainge is playing this exactly correct.
Minnesota did a straight overpay for Gobert.
Donovan Mitchell is signed for 4 years. He is gonna put up monster stats. His trade value will do nothing but increase. He may well not get traded until next offseason. More suitors. Somebody will pay big! Weak free agent market.
Knicks will likely have to give Utah what they want because the front office is in Year 3 and another bad season could mean people start getting fired. Mitchell trade adds 2 years to everybody not named Thibs.
Jazz are just exploring his trade value to see if somebody over pays for Mitchell. Most likely he starts the season in Utah until a team needs a big punch for the playoffs.
I wasn’t even aware the Cavs were involved.
Either way now that it’s leaked DM prefers NY/BK/MIA that almost ensures he ends up in NY—Miami has nothing to offer outside of Herro and Brooklyn’s potential offer around Ben is even worse.
It’s just a matter of how much Ainge can squeeze out of Rose here
Cavs pull out, Magic pull in.. Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, RJ Hampton, Terrence Ross, Mo Wagner, Orl’s 2024 1st, Orl’s 2026 1st & the option to swap picks in 2025 & 2027 for Spida Mitchell & Rudy Gay… Utah gets 2 elite young prospects plus another pretty good 1 in RJ. Mo gives his bro a familiar face & could eat up a bunch of mins at 5 during their rebuild. Ross is on an expiring deal unlike Rudy Gay. Plus they get 2 unprotected picks from a perennial lotto team as well as 2 unprotected pick swaps… Orlando adds an elite scorer to a team that badly needs an elite scorer. He’s signed up for the next 3,4yrs. He pairs extremely well with their other/remaining core guys (esp Markelle/JI/Paolo). Plus they add an experienced vet in Gay that can help Paolo in numerous ways. Match made on heaven. Orlando can add more picks if they need to. But as I’ve said many times before, no team (with reasonable interest in Mitchell) can offer more than they can
That’s not a bad deal for Utah but if you swap out Suggs for Anthony it would go a further in getting the deal done.
You think Utah would rather have Cole than Suggs? I gotta strongly disagree. I think Suggs is literally the most perfect guy they could get in a Mitchell trade. He has 3yrs left on his rookie deal. He’s the prototypical 21st century pg. He’s versatile, athletic, he’s extremely competitive. Cole is a really good leader but Suggs is even moreso. It’s hard to imagine him not thriving in Utah tbh. His potential is a good deal higher than Cole. But hey if I’m Orlando & the Jazz want Cole instead of Suggs I wouldn’t argue at all lol. They could even get an extra 1st lol
Suggs can’t shoot!
Suggs was bad as a rookie!
@sankara might be a bit of an overpay but not too bad, plus i realllllyyyy want to see dono go to the magic
I don’t see 1 elite prospect let alone 2. Jalen Suggs is NOT elite, and i believe he is gonna be an average to below average pro. Wagner is OK. Not sold on a bad team stats guy.
Mitchell plus Clarkson to the Celtics for Brown and Pritchard.
Clarkson def isn’t the type of guy Boston needs. I’m not sure why they’d wanna swap Jaylen for Spida either. From Utahs pov, other than their fans prob loving Pritchard, I don’t see why they’d do this either. I’m pretty sure they’d be rebuilding if they trade away 4 of their 5best players & Jaylen definitely not gonna wanna resign to a rebuilding team, especially 1 located in SLC, Utah
Boston would definitely have a need for a guy like Mitchell if they traded Brown for him, that being said I think Mitchell and Brown are pretty much on the same level as far as value goes. So the Jazz would be swapping Clarkson for Pritchard. I guess he’s younger but there’s no real benefit in acquiring Brown. If they trade Mitchell it would be to start a rebuild.
That’s a MASSIVE hit defensively for the Celtics…Brown is already a more complete player than Spider, doesn’t make sense unless Boston thinks Brown is leaving them high and dry soon..
What exactly would Jazz want from Cavs.
Excatly ……….. blanks
Cavs are loaded with 2 guards. And Jazz are moving Mitchell ……
TO TANK ………. TO TANK
They don’t want players back. They want assets, expiring contracts, young players with upside. Nothing to mess with a top THREE pick. All about a TOP3.
That’s how you rebuild ……..
So Donovan is not playing for Jazz this yr. This like the most boring off season ever. I wish the Knicks would of drafted Agbaji. And then we trade for Wiggins. A lot cheaper and frankly better results. It’s what I’d do.
DM is coming to Knicks. There are no better deals out there. I just hope Obi stays. Pleaaaaaaasssssseeeeee
If I’m the Cavs, I don’t see Any business in a Mitchell deal.
LeVert’s cheaper and longer.
Sexton off the bench.
Save the money.
If I’m the Cavs, I don’t see Any business in a Mitchell deal.
LeVert’s cheaper and longer.
Sexton off the bench.
Save the money.
I would trade for Cam Reddish – unused, high potential, low trade value right now.
Similar skill-set to okoro, which is what they need at the 3.
Has playoff experience.