The Utah Jazz traded Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers this week for forward Lauri Markkanen, rookie swingman Ochai Agbaji and guard Collin Sexton.
In addition, Danny Ainge pulled a ton of draft capital from the Cavs: three unprotected first-rounders in 2025, 2027 and 2029, as well as a pair of pick swaps in 2026 and 2028.
Cleveland, meanwhile, got a superstar guard and was able to rid itself of Collin Sexton – who everyone on the team hated.
According to ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst, Mitchell had a very strong reaction to the trade.
“It’s a great fit for Donovan Mitchell,” Windhorst said on ESPN Cleveland radio. “And I’m gonna tell you, I can’t tell you how I know, but I’m aware of when he found out.
“ And I’m aware of when he actually found out about what was in the trade. And when he found out — he was on a golf course — and when he found out that Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Darius Garland were not in the trade, and neither was Kevin Love, he went screaming around the golf course, he was so excited.
“He’s extremely excited in this moment. I’m sure he would love to have been a [New York] Knick, that’s his hometown. But he’s extremely excited in the moment.”
The Cavaliers now boast three All-Stars from last year on the roster. They are just the second team in the NBA who can say that, after the Golden State Warriors.
Utah, meanwhile, can now embark on an Oklahoma City Thunder-esque rebuild since it was abundantly clear that Mitchell and Rudy Gobert would never win a title together.
The evidence speaks for itself. https://t.co/mDT33YgYT2
— Game 7 (@game7__) September 2, 2022
It’s rare to find a trade where everyone emerges as a winner, but this feels as close to it as you can get in the NBA. Everyone came out of this process with something they wanted: the Cavs, Jazz, Mitchell and even Sexton.
The only party that didn’t get what they were looking for is the New York Knicks, but they should be used to that by now.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
