Cleveland Cavaliers Still Facing Threat of Lakers Stealing Donovan Mitchell

The Cleveland Cavaliers are still being threatened by the Los Angeles Lakers wanting Donovan Mitchell.

Apr 6, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

While all the recent reports have been that Donovan Mitchell is expected to sign a long-term extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers, no one will be sleeping easy until the ink actually dries on the paper.

Mitchell is one of the most dominant players in the entire NBA and there are many teams that would love to steal him away from the Cavaliers.

One of those teams is the Los Angeles Lakers, who could envision a "Big Three" of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Mitchell as their best route to another championship.

Despite rumors of Mitchell leaving Cleveland dying down a lot in recent weeks, there is still a threat that he could opt for a change of scenery. Playing for the Lakers and with both James and Davis would be an intriguing situation.

According to a recent report from Sam Amick of The Athletic, Mitchell has “long been seen as a premier target." It has also been reported that James and Davis have both urged the Lakers' front office to go all-in now on pursuing a championship.

Following the 2024 NBA Draft, there is a strong likelihood that Los Angeles would love to figure out a way to get Mitchell to leave the Cavaliers.

If Mitchell were to decide that he wants out, he could try to force a trade. That scenario does not seem likely, but it's still very much an option for him if he chose to go that route.

A deal between the Lakers and Cleveland would not be easy to get done, but the pieces likely involved would include Austin Reaves and possibly even D'Angelo Russell, assuming the veteran point guard opts into his deal with the team.

Ideally, the situation will not get to that point and Mitchell will simply stick with the Cavaliers for years to come.

Mitchell is coming off of another massive season in 2023-24. He averaged 26.6 points per game to go along with 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.8 steals. In addition to those averages, he shot 46.2 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 36.8 percent of his three-point attempts.

Even though the threat of Los Angeles is still there, Cleveland is feeling good about its chances. He seems to like what the Cavaliers are building and the team has a shot to get even better with moves this offseason.

Expect to continue hearing rumors and rumblings about the 27-year-old star shooting guard in the coming days and week. The Lakers are still definitely a team to watch, but Cleveland seems headed towards locking up its franchise player to a new contract in the near future.