Donovan Mitchell was recently traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers by the Utah Jazz, and there is no doubt that this was a win-win trade for both franchises. The Cleveland Cavaliers increased the star power on their roster, while the Utah Jazz got a massive package for their franchise player.
It seems as though Donovan Mitchell himself was happy to get moved to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He reportedly “went screaming around the golf course” after he found out the terms of the trade due to his excitement.
“It’s a great fit for Donovan Mitchell,” Windhorst said. “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.”
There are definitely reasons for Donovan Mitchell to be excited about the trade. He will be joining a talented young squad, and Mitchell could help the team make a deep run in the playoffs.
Utah Jazz Officials Viewed Trading Donovan Mitchell To Cavaliers As Payback
Prior to him getting traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell was heavily linked to the New York Knicks. He would have become the face of his hometown team, and that is a prospect that is appealing to anyone.
Recently, NBA analyst Ric Bucher revealed that part of the reason that the Utah Jazz wound up with the Cleveland Cavaliers was due to some Utah Jazz officials being unhappy with him due to the star wanting out. That resulted in them believing that sending him to the Cavaliers rather than the Knicks was “payback”.
Why Donovan Mitchell wound up with the Cavs…(Learned yet another reason after recording the podcast: some Jazz officials were not happy that Mitchell wanted out and viewed sending him to CLE — rather than home to NY — as payback) https://t.co/2KhwmHzwt5 via @acast
— Ric Bucher (@RicBucher) September 4, 2022
Some Jazz officials were not happy that Mitchell wanted out and viewed sending him to CLE — rather than home to NY — as payback
This is certainly an interesting angle. While obviously, Donovan Mitchell may have been disappointed about not being able to go to New York, it is not “payback” to send him to a good situation and a team where he will be competing for a championship.
Hopefully, we see Donovan Mitchell thrive with the Cleveland Cavaliers next season and show that he can be the No. 1 scoring option on a contending team. There is no doubt that Mitchell has gotten underrated over the course of the last two years, and it is likely that we’ll see him remind everyone just how good he is next year.
