Donovan Mitchell Lands in Cleveland

The Knicks enter this next phase of their rebuild in possession of 11 first-round picks over the next seven years. RJ, Grimes, IQ, Toppin, Sims, Reddish, Hartenstein and Mitch Rob all 24 or younger.

So, I had just finished printing out the cheat sheets for my final fantasy draft and was packing my daughter into the car to take her to the pool when … BOOM!... the Woj Bomb detonated. 

And just like that, after days and weeks and months of deliberation and debate about the pros and cons of a potential Donovan Mitchell deal, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news that Mr. Mitchell would be playing in Cleveland, not New York, next season.

The particulars: The Cavaliers are sending Lauri Markkanen (about to enter the second year of a four-year, $67 million contract), Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton (who inked a four-year, $72 million contract as part of the sig-and-trade), three unprotected first-round picks (2025, 2027 and 2029) and two pick swaps (2026 and 2028) to Utah in exchange for Mitchell.

I do think this trade makes a lot of sense from the Cavs perspective. They do have to worry about Mitchell leaving via free agency in a few years (more on that in a bit), but from a roster standpoint, Mitchell is an excellent fit in Cleveland. He provides them with an elite offensive weapon capable of dominating playoff games and will have Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen behind him to clean up his defensive shortcomings. With their young core of Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, Mobley and Allen all locked up for the foreseeable future, Cleveland was well positioned to make an "all-in" move for Mitchell. 

Cleveland finished last season six games above .500 and is clearly a team on the rise and ready to make some serious noise.

The Knicks, on the other hand, are at the start of a rebuild, which always made a move for Mitchell somewhat problematic.

That's not to suggest that it would have been a mistake. As I've written repeatedly, players of Mitchell's caliber are rarely available. He's a 25-year-old stud who has already proven he's one of the very best offensive players on the planet. He's a winner. And he still had three years left on his current contract.

Yet, as I've also noted, Mitchell is a 6'1" shooting guard whose effort and commitment on the defensive end raise red flags. 

There's a reason why after months of hanging a big red "For Sale" sign around the franchise cornerstone, the best player Danny Ainge and Utah got back in a deal for Mitchell was Collin Sexton, a talented but flawed combo guard, who was still a restricted free agent two months after hitting the open market. Yes, the Cavs gave up three future picks, but they didn't give up a single player they deemed a valuable contributor. 

Conversely, the Knicks would have been forced to part with arguably the best young prospect the franchise has had in decades, multiple unprotected picks and at least one additional young player on a team-friendly rookie contract.