Every year, a handful of NBA stars enter the offseason with question marks about their future.
Could the Cleveland Cavaliers have a Donovan Mitchell issue on their hands?
As Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley predicts the next wave of stars who might come with trade demands soon enough, Mitchell joins a list that includes the obvious candidates in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis.
What Makes Mitchell A Potential Candidate?
If results stay the same–even with the organization making the changes around Mitchell–maybe it becomes time for the star guard to change his scenery.
“Mitchell, who has never pushed past the conference semis, could be left wondering whether he needs a move out of Northeast Ohio to pave a championship path,” Buckley explained. “And if he does, the time to make that leverage play is right now, since his current contract has just a single guaranteed season left.”
The Cavaliers Are On The Path To Another Early Exit
The round one series against the Toronto Raptors went seven games. A first-round exit certainly would’ve had Mitchell on trade watch at the beginning of the summer.
So far, the Cavaliers are 1-2 in the second round. Depending on how the rest of the round plays out, the NBA could soon look at the Cavaliers as holding one of the top trade options on the market.
At a point, Mitchell will have to take accountability for the shortcomings in Cleveland, but that’s not to say he’s not worth a high investment.
The 29-year-old just wrapped up a seventh All-Star season. In 70 games, the veteran guard shot 48.3% from the field and 36.4% from three. Mitchell produced 27.9 points per game, while producing 5.7 assists per game.
In the playoffs, Mitchell is posting averages of 25.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists.
It’s too early to tell if Mitchell is truly ready to move on. While the Cavs are currently trailing, they have enough time to force an Eastern Conference Finals push. If they get one, that can be seen as positive progress, which would begin to erase doubt about Mitchell’s future in Cleveland.