Cavaliers Rumors: Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Caris LeVert, More
In this week’s episode of The Fast Break Podcast, Fastbreak on FanNation NBA insider and reporter Brett Siegel is joined by Chris Fedor from Cleveland.com to discuss all things Cleveland Cavaliers, who currently find themselves near the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
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Cleveland’s Front-Office Continues To Impress [18:08]
Without LeBron James on their roster, the Cleveland Cavaliers really struggled from 2010-2014. Then James returned to Cleveland, took the franchise to four straight NBA Finals and even delivered on his promise of bringing a championship to the Cavaliers, leading them to the title in 2016.
LeBron then left following the 2017-18 season to join the Los Angeles Lakers, resulting in the Cavaliers once again falling down near the bottom of the NBA standings.
These last three seasons though, we have seen the growth of the young prospects on the Cavaliers and not only has head coach J.B. Bickerstaff done a terrific job, but the front-office and President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman deserves a lot of praise for the job he has done putting this dynamic roster together.
Brett and Chris discussed the work Altman and the Cavs’ front-office has put in over the years via the NBA Draft and how this roster is set up for success not only right now, but long-term as well [18:08].
Siegel: Cleveland felt like a feel good story last year because this team was near the bottom of the standings after LeBron James went to Los Angeles and now all of sudden, Koby Altman has done a fantastic job of getting young, electric talents like Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen. I mean, this front-office has consistently made move after move that may not get enough attention, but consistently produce, just like the move they made at the trade deadline last year to get Caris LeVert for an injured Ricky Rubio, a player they brought back this past offseason!
Fedor: It is interesting because for the longest time, people were looking at the Cavs and they were evaluating the Cavs as if they were a finished product. And I kept saying to people, they are not ready for that level of judgment. If you are going to evaluate Koby Altman, if you are going to evaluate the progress of this rebuild, do it independent of the win/loss record. Just look at the moves they were making and ask yourself, “Were those the right moves?” Collin Sexton with the 8th pick in 2018, was that the right move? Darius Garland fifth overall in 2019, was that the right move? And I think if you evaluated it that way, as opposed to just looking at their record, you would have been able to see that there were signs that Cleveland was going in the right direction. Right now, this is an exciting season for the Cavaliers. They are a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference and there is a lot of excitement around what they can accomplish right now. Internally, this franchise is excited long-term because they have set themselves up sustainable, long-term success.
Siegel: When you look at the youth of this team and where they are currently, do you believe that this is just the beginning of what this group can achieve because to me, I fully believe this simply because Donovan Mitchell is 26, Jarrett Allen is 24, Darius Garland is 23 and Evan Mobley is 21, not to mention, they are all under contract together through the 2024-25 season.
Fedor: That is the exciting thing about what they have built. Not only did Donovan Mitchell fill a need they obviously had this offseason, but he fit their same timeline. This was not just a “one-year rental” type of move. He fits their personality, he fits their style and he fits their timeline. This gives the Cavaliers time to grow together organically. Donovan will get better next to Darius, Darius will get better next to Donovan and Evan Mobley is the key to everything. There are people within this organization that truly believe that if this team is going to hang another banner, Mobley is going to have to become their best player. He still needs to grow and evolve as a player, but you can see the signs of this guy being one of one. They have the makings of being something special for a number of years.
Donovan Mitchell's Impact In Cleveland [22:31]
This past offseason, the Cleveland Cavaliers made the biggest move by going out and trading for three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell.
They gave up Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, rookie Ochai Agbaji, three unprotected first-round picks (2025, 2027 and 2029) and two pick swaps (2026 and 2028) for Mitchell, but this is a trade that has paid off big time for Cleveland so far and Mitchell is well on his way to making his fourth consecutive All-Star appearance.
Chris Fedor broke down Donovan Mitchell’s value to this Cavaliers team and he explained why Mitchell’s impact expands past his scoring numbers on the court.
Fedor [26:07]: “I think the thing he has brought to this organization, more so than anything else, and I am not sure how you measure this necessarily, but he has brought a different level of belief. The Cavs thought they accomplished a lot last year. They won 44 games and got to the play-in tournament. They were excited about the group they were bringing back and about the next steps they could take individually and as a team. But when you get a player like Donovan who can go shot-for-shot with best in the NBA, when you bring a player like Donovan that is a Top-15, Top-20 talent in the league, there is a different level of belief in the organization that they can compete with the best this league has to offer. That is what he has brought to the table.”
Evan Mobley’s Second Season In Cleveland [33:19]
All of last season, Evan Mobley was in the running for the Rookie of the Year award and if he did not have to deal with some late season injuries, he may have very well won this award.
Ultimately, he finished second in the voting for Rookie of the Year and very quickly cemented himself as a key part of the Cavaliers’ core moving forward.
Heading into his second season in the league, Mobley had high expectations placed on his back, some that may just be a little too far-fetched given that his offensive production will not be comparable to other former second overall picks simply because Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell control the Cavs’ offense.
While he still has a lot of growing and learning to do, Evan Mobley has been putting together a great “sophomore” season in the NBA.
Fedor [33:55]: “I’ve said this a number of times and I am going to stick by it. When it comes to Evan Mobley based on where he is in his career, his age, his developmental and his role offensively, I think with him, it is more about impact rather than production. If you watch the Cavs play, you understand a big reason why they have the second-best defense in the NBA is because of Evan Mobley. Yes, Jarrett Allen is a big part of it as well, but the thing that separates the Cavs is that they have two seven-footers that can protect the rim and guard out on the perimeter… Mobley is no higher than the third option offensively and sometimes, he’s about the fifth or sixth option. This offense runs through Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, which means Evan just doesn’t get the touches. For me at least, it is all about his possession-to-possession impact. I believe he has taken a step forward this year, even though his production may not show that.”
Cavaliers’ Plans Heading Towards Trade Deadline [36:13]
The NBA trade deadline is on February 9 at 3 p.m. ET and while they are one of the best teams in the league record-wise, the Cavaliers and Koby Altman always tend to stay busy around this time of the year.
It never hurts to go out and explore what different players are worth and that seems like what Altman and the Cavs’ front-office are doing right now, specifically with Caris LeVert.
Being in the final year of his contract, LeVert is a player that the Cavs could potentially look to move for added value, but as of right now, it is hard to see where Cleveland would be able to add equal to or better value in the open market.
Brett and Chris talked about the Cavaliers’ trade deadline plans and they discussed what some of the latest rumors tying to the team mean for this franchise [36:13].
Siegel: The trade deadline is right around the corner and Cleveland has been involved in some rumors lately. Caris LeVert is in the final year of his contract and Dallas Mavericks wing Tim Hardaway Jr. has been a name to come up in rumors recently connecting to the Cavaliers. What is the latest you are hearing on potential deals the Cavs will explore and is it reasonable to believe that LeVert could be moved?
Fedor: This is a complicated question because it starts first with the fact that they do not have a lot of assets to give up. The other part of the problem is that the Play-In Tournament has given a lot of teams more incentive to keep going throughout the course of the year. It can be an accomplishment for a team to reach the Play-In Tournament and because of this, more teams feel like they have a chance to compete by not “selling” at the deadline. By rule, Cleveland cannot offer a first-round pick, so now you have to look at what else they have to deal with. Caris LeVert has an expiring contract and can help a team right now, they have Cedi Osman and they also have future second-round picks, but what kind of piece does this really get you if you are Cleveland? Some of the top names being mentioned in trade rumors right now, I think those guys are a little bit out of Cleveland’s price range and if you look at some of the lesser guys, maybe a different move could make sense, but I just really do not know the answer to that right now.
Siegel: I tend to agree with you because like you mentioned, they don’t have a first-round pick, which is a big deal at these trade deadlines because teams who are looking to “sell” are always wanting draft assets in return. You look at what else the Cavaliers have to deal and you can pinpoint an expiring contract like LeVert, but like you mentioned, what does that really bring back because you are going to get an equal to or maybe even take on a lesser talented player. You have other pieces like Isaac Okoro and Dylan Windler, but do you really want to give these guys up knowing that you are a top team in the East right now? Cleveland is at that point where they’re not necessarily an all-in, championship contending team like the Celtics and Bucks, those teams are all-in on competing for a championship right now. For the Cavs, it is more of the mindset of if they can get there, that is awesome and great for them, but it is more about the growth of this franchise and how can we better ourselves to be a sustainable championship contender for the next four, five, six years down the road.
Fedor: The Cavaliers understand that the wing spot is a weak point on this roster, there is no doubt about that. It started with Caris LeVert when he won the job in training camp and then the team decided to try Lamar Stevens instead. From Lamar Stevens, they’ve gone to Isaac Okoro, they could potentially try Dean Wade when he returns from injury as well. Cleveland understands this is a weak point for them, but they are not just going to trade Caris LeVert for anybody. He gets about 30 minutes a night, J.B. Bickerstaff trusts him, he brings two-way ability and even though he is not the ideal fit for this team, he has found a way to make a positive impact. Yes, there is a glaring need. Yes, there is interest in improving this spot, but I get the sense that they will be just fine moving forward with this team that they have and seeing how far this team that they have can go.
