Report: Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell Is Lakers’ No. 1 Trade Target

According to NBA insider Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell is the Los Angeles Lakers‘ number one trade target. 

Mitchell is extension-eligible this offseason. If the All-Star doesn’t sign an extension, the Cavaliers may have to trade him so they don’t lose him for nothing. 

Mitchell can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2025 if he declines his 2025-26 player option.

Donovan Mitchell has become the Lakers’ No. 1 trade target, per @jovanbuha (https://t.co/aoJ3wCfOOA).

Los Angeles is prepared to aggressively pursue Mitchell, if he decides not to sign with the Cavaliers long-term.

The Lakers can offer up to three first-round picks — 2024,… pic.twitter.com/VUgMIS9L4T

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 18, 2024

Mitchell averaged 26.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists for the Cavaliers this season while shooting 46.2% from the field, 36.8% from beyond the arc and 86.5% from the free-throw line. 

A five-time All-Star, Mitchell has career averages of 24.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists with the Utah Jazz and Cavaliers. He scored a career-high 71 points last season against the Chicago Bulls. 

NBA writer Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report proposed the following trade idea between the Lakers and Cavaliers. This mock trade works under CBA rules: 

The Deal: Donovan Mitchell for Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jalen Hood-Schifino, a 2029 first-round pick, a 2030 first-round pick swap and a 2031 first-round pick 

“Turning multiple role players into Mitchell would crack L.A.’s title window open just a bit more while also laying a foundation for the post-LeBron era,” Bailey wrote. “A one-two punch with Mitchell and AD, assuming it’s surrounded by a decent supporting cast, could keep the Lakers in contention for the next half-decade.”

The Lakers, led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, have lost to the Denver Nuggets in back-to-back postseasons.

Mitchell, one of the top scorers in the NBA, could be the missing piece Los Angeles needs to win another title in the LeBron-Davis era. 

“The writing seems to be on the wall for Mitchell’s eventual departure,” Bailey wrote. “If he won’t sign beyond the 2024-25 season, Cleveland has to get something for him. And plenty of teams can offer more draft capital than L.A. can. Those who can afford to give up a ton would have the same dilemma as the Cavs, though. If a team like the Thunder or New Orleans Pelicans acquired Mitchell, they’d probably just be watching the clock till his contract expires, too.

“If Mitchell’s desire for a big market suppresses his value a bit, the Lakers’ ability to send multiple picks, two players who can help right now and a prospect is at least intriguing. And though losing Mitchell would probably mean Cleveland was taking a half step away from contention, there’s a chance this trade could bring a little more balance to the roster. The backcourt wouldn’t be quite as small with Reaves, and Hachimura could provide some spacing for a frontcourt that desperately needs it.”

The Lakers lost to the Nuggets in the first round of the 2024 playoffs.

Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics eliminated the Cavaliers in the second round.