CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell is headed east.
The All-Star guard is on his way to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who acquired one of the NBA’s best scorers Thursday in a blockbuster trade with the Utah Jazz, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.
What You Need To Know
- Per ESPN, the Cavaliers get high-scoring guard Donovan Mitchell, 25, from the Utah Jazz
- The Jazz reportedly get guard Collin Sexton, forward Lauri Markkanen and rookie guard Ochai Agbaji
- The Cavaliers also have to give up first-round picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029
- The Cavaliers are coming off a 44-win season, more wins than the previous two years combined
Cleveland is sending guard Collin Sexton, forward Lauri Markkanen and rookie guard Ochai Agbaji along with three unprotected first-round picks to the Jazz, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because it still must be approved by the league.
ESPN was the first to report Mitchell’s exit from Utah.
There had been speculation for months that Mitchell might get moved, and it appeared the New York Knicks were the frontrunner for him. Cleveland, though, made the move for a player who could push them into title contention.
The Cavs are also giving up first-round picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029 and swapping picks in 2026 and 2028, said the person.
The 25-year-old Mitchell is one of the league’s elite players and his acquisition could put the Cavs, who won 44 games last season — a 22-game improvement — with a young nucleus, among the top teams in the loaded Eastern Conference.
Mitchell, who averaged 25.9 points per game last season, will pair with All-Star point guard Darius Garland and he’ll play along with All-Star center Jarett Allen and forward Evan Mobley, who had a strong rookie season.
Sexton missed last season with a knee injury and was a restricted free agent. He’s a proven scorer, but he became expendable for Cleveland due to Garland’s development and the club’s talented frontline.
This is the second major trade during the offseason for Utah, which started its rebuild in July when the club traded All-Star center Rudy Gobert to Minnesota.
Markkanen averaged 14.8 points and 5.7 rebounds in his first season with the Cavs.
Agbaji was drafted by Cleveland with the No. 14 overall pick this year after helping Kansas win a national championship.
