Donovan Mitchell Trade Turning Into A Win-Win Move For Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz

Donovan Mitchell has found a home with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Utah Jazz signed Lauri Markkanen to a long-term extension since the trade in 2022.

Dec 19, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) defends Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Everyone was shocked when the Utah Jazz traded Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers ahead of the 2022 season. Even Mitchell himself has admitted he thought he’d end up on his hometown New York Knicks.

The Wine and Gold gave up a lot for Mitchell with a package consisting of Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, Ochai Agbaji, three first-round picks, and two pick swaps. 

Often, when a big trade such as this one goes down, one side is the clear winner, and the other is the clear loser. However, this trade has been different. It’s starting to look like a win-win for both teams.

Cleveland Cavaliers’ Perspective

The Cavs traded for Mitchell with the intention of making the playoffs again after the LeBron James era, and that’s exactly what they did.

Cleveland was the fourth seed in the playoffs in 2023 and advanced to the Conference semi-finals in 2024. 

There were some rumors and reports during the past two seasons that Mitchell was unhappy with the Cavaliers and may request a trade to a bigger market. However, he put all of that to rest this past offseason, signing a three-year extension with Cleveland.

The Cavaliers now have their franchise player in his prime, whom they gave up many assets to get.

Utah Jazz’s Perspective

Utah's trading Mitchell to Cleveland signaled that the organization was headed for a rebuild, and what the Jazz got in return from the Cavaliers would be key pieces over the next few seasons.

Sexton has continued to be the solid scoring guard he was with the Cavaliers, Agbaji has shown flashes of potential (he was traded to the Toronto Raptors at last year’s trade deadline), and the Jazz could still hit on some of Cleveland's draft picks.

However, the real key piece of the trade is Markkanen, who has blossomed in Utah. Markkanen has averaged 24.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists with the Jazz over the last two seasons. 

Mar 27, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) brings the ball up the court against the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Many teams saw the value Marrkkan had and were reportedly interested in trading for him. Instead, the Jazz officially signed him to a five-year, $238 million extension early this week. 

At 27 years old, Markkanen could stay with the Jazz through their rebuild and their return to being a playoff team. They certainly seem close to doing that. Utah’s other option is to sell high on his value and trade Markkanen at some point in the future.

Either side you look at this trade, from Cleveland’s perspective or Utah’s, each organization got what it was looking for when it agreed to a deal almost two years ago.