One of the summer’s biggest stories is the ongoing contract situation between young star Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers. While it’s still unknown how things will play out, the Lakers are a big threat to lure him to Los Angeles this summer.
“If Mitchell doesn’t sign an extension with Cleveland this summer, the Cavs will have to explore trade options — and one of the teams standing at the front of the line will be the Lakers,” wrote The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd. “It’s possible, given Mitchell’s current condition with his calf, that he has already played his final game in a Cavs jersey.”
Through 55 games this season, Mitchell averaged 26.6 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game on 46.2% shooting. At 27 years old, Mitchell is just entering his prime and it makes him one of the most valuable assets in the league right now.
Rumors have been circulating about Mitchell for weeks now and his apparent unhappiness in Cleveland has been well-documented by reporters and fans from all over. In fact, many believe that Mitchell could go public with his displeasure this offseason and force the GM’s hand if the Cavaliers cannot pull off a miracle run.
But with three years and $105 million left on his contract (including a player option for the 2025-26 campaign), Mitchell still has at least another season before he’s up for free agency and it will take some maneuvering for him to force his way out.
But as we’ve seen with other stars such as Ben Simmons, James Harden, and Kevin Durant, Mitchell could put significant pressure on the Cavs to trade him, especially since they’d risk losing him for no return at all in free agency next summer.
Los Angeles Lakers Are On The Hunt For A Star
With LeBron James expected to keep playing for at least two more seasons, the Lakers are operating at full speed as they work toward building a title contender. While it remains to be seen where LeBron will end up, the Lakers will do their best to maintain their upward trajectory by going on the hunt for some big-name players.
While guys like Trae Young and other stars have emerged on their radar, the Lakers will be among several other teams in hard pursuit of All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, who is the type of shooter and scorer who can raise the ceiling for any team in the league.
While the Lakers are notably short on assets right now, they could be willing to trade players like Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura for such a proven, All-Star-level player. With him in the lineup, alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the franchise would have a proper “big three” for the first time since the Showtime Lakers. At the very least, Mitchell could help set the Lakers up for their post-LeBron future, which is coming sooner than they’d like to admit.
For now, with the Cavaliers still actively fighting for their season, it’s impossible to tell which way the Mitchell situation will go but if he has any interest at all in a bigger market, it doesn’t get better than the Lake Show, who have desperate for any reason to celebrate their team.