Teams check on availability of Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell after injuries to Darius Garland, Evan Mobley

Several teams called to check on whether Cavaliers All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell might be available in trades after the injuries to point guard Darius Garland and power forward Evan Mobley, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

Garland is expected to miss four-to-six weeks with a broken jaw, while Mobley is due out six-to-eight weeks after knee surgery. The Cavs (14-12) made the announcement on both players Friday.

And isn’t just fans and media who started asking what that meant for Mitchell, the subject of (often unfounded) trade rumors since the summer. Opposing teams apparently wanted to know Mitchell’s status in Cleveland, too.

But the Cavs have no intention of entertaining Mitchell trade offers and are fully committed to returning to the playoffs. While recognizing that losing talents such as Garland and Mobley will make the road tougher, coach J.B. Bickerstaff and the front office fully intend to return to the playoffs.

That said, Mitchell is a dynamic scorer and an All-Star. You can’t blame other general managers for at least checking in. Unfortunately for them, Mitchell is staying put for the foreseeable future.

Cleveland is looking at the current situation as an opportunity for others on the roster — such as Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade — to step up and keep things going in a positive direction. There’s been no talk of tanking the season or trading the team’s best player.