Getty Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell.
It’s the time of year when the Los Angeles Lakers are linked to many of the potentially available superstars. This year, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell appears to be a player the team likes.
According to May 16 betting odds from Bet Ohio, the Lakers are +800 to land Mitchell if he changes team, which is second-best behind the New York Knicks. Mitchell has been rumored to be a player the Lakers have converted for a few years now.
It seems likely that the Cavaliers will break up the guard tandem of Darius Garland and Mitchell. The latter is the more proven star while the former is younger and homegrown. It remains to be seen which one they will pick but Mitchell seems more likely to be on the move. He’s commonly been linked to the Knicks and the Lakers. Cleveland may prefer Garland considering he was drafted by the team and could be more inclined to star long-term.
The Lakers will be armed with three future first-round picks they can trade, which should be appealing to Cleveland. The Knicks already have a star guard in Jalen Brunson and might not been keen on giving up assets to get Mitchell. The Lakers should be a team to watch closely in the Mitchell sweepstakes this offseason.
Donovan Mitchell Was ‘Frustrated’ With Team
Choosing between Garland and Mitchell could be easy for the Cavaliers. It’s possible that the latter might want out. According to a May 16 report from Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, the guard “grew frustrated with some teammates’ lack of maturity, focus, playoff-level readiness and a willingness to listen” during the 2023-24 season.
Now, Mitchell did take to X to call out the report as fake but it’s still possible there’s truth to it.
It doesn’t seem like Mitchell will directly request a trade but if the Cavaliers sense that he’s unhappy and could leave the team in free agency next year, they’ll likely pursue a trade of him.
Los Angeles Lakers Prefer Donovan Mitchell Over Trae Young
Another name that has been commonly linked to the Lakers is Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young. Similar to the Cavaliers, the Hawks have two star guards who aren’t a great fit together.
However, according to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, the Lakers would prefer adding Mitchell if they had their pick of the litter.
“I’ve heard in recent weeks that Donovan has become, if the Lakers go down the three-star path, and it’s still unclear, I think they’re gonna kick the can down the road and see the possibility and see what the asking price is, and there are teams that can outbid them if they get into a bidding war,” Buha said on the May 17 episode of “Buha’s Block. “But if they do go down that road and at least explore it, that Donovan Mitchell would be the preferred guy, whereas several months ago, Trae Young was a name you were hearing a lot. Dejounte Murray was a name they looked at leading into the deadline.”
Young is a prolific scorer but his lack of size make him a defensive liability. That likely plays a role as to why the Lakers would be apprehensive to trade for him.