The Los Angeles Lakers can apparently kiss their No. 1 trade target goodbye before the offseason even begins.
Some NBA beefs run deep for years, even when they aren’t fueled by a direct rivalry. Such are the issues that Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has with the Lakers, who signed LeBron James out from under the Cavs in 2018, marking the second time the superstar left his hometown for a larger and more glamorous market.
The Lakers are looking for a way back to the mountaintop after the Denver Nuggets have bounced them from the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, and Mitchell is among the top names on their list as far as trade candidates go. Cleveland, though, does not want to do business with Los Angeles — at least not where Mitchell is concerned.
“A source told Hoops Wire that Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert ‘would never’ trade Mitchell to the Lakers,” Ashish Mathur reported on Monday, May 20.
Lakers’ Preferred Trade Target This Offseason Is Donovan Mitchell
The Cavs probably aren’t interested in trading Mitchell at all, though they may have no choice if he rolls into next season — the final on his current deal — without signing a contract extension, which would be worth north of $200 million over four years in its max form.
Mitchell will make $35.4 million in 2024-25 and is under contract for one more season beyond that. However, the $37.1 million-value connected to that season is in the form of a player option that Mitchell can decline and then re-enter the free agent market.
If Mitchell ends up on the trade block, the five-time All-Star should command a serious return. Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported on May 17 that the Lakers prefer Mitchell over other options if they choose to follow the “three-star path.”
“I think they’re gonna kick the can down the road … and see what the asking price is,” Buha said, per his “Buha’s Block” podcast. “There are teams that can outbid them if they get into a bidding war. But if they do go down that road and at least explore it … Donovan Mitchell would be the preferred guy. Whereas several months ago, Trae Young was a name you were hearing a lot. Dejounte Murray was [also] a name they looked at leading into the [trade] deadline.”
Mitchell averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game during the regular season.
Cavaliers Can’t Risk Losing Donovan Mitchell for Nothing, but Don’t Need to Trade Him to Lakers
There would be some seriously ironic symmetry if Mitchell ended up with the Lakers after how his season ended in Cleveland in this year’s playoffs.
Mitchell led the the Cavs to a first-round series win over the Orlando Magic, the first time Cleveland has won a playoff series since James left following the team’s loss to the Golden State Warriors in the 2018 NBA Finals. The difference would be that James landed in L.A. by choice following that campaign, while Mitchell can only get to Southern California next season if Gilbert and the Cavaliers agree to send him there.
Whether it’s via trading Mitchell or moving Darius Garland, Cleveland is probably going to have to split up its backcourt duo by dealing a former All-Star, as the fit is overlapping and appears clearly to have a ceiling below that of a championship.
The Cavs could bet on their ability to offer Mitchell a five-year contract worth upwards of $270 million in free agency following the 2024-25 season, which is more than any other franchise could offer in terms of years and total dollars. However, that would risk Mitchell walking away for the lights of a bigger city or potentially a better chance at winning a title.
It would be difficult for Cleveland to assume that risk considering the massive haul the team gave up to bring Mitchell to town two offseasons back. That said, if the value they can get from other teams is higher anyway (as Buha reported), there’s little reason the Cavaliers need to consider making a deal with the Lakers.
