Lakers Reportedly Will Have Competition From East Powerhouse In Potential Donovan Mitchell Trade Sweepstakes

Much talk around the Los Angeles Lakers of late is what the team will do with the open head coaching position. However, the talk about Los Angeles potentially adding a third star this summer has come about as well.

The biggest names connected with the team of late have been Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks and Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers. But in recent days, Mitchell has become more of a reality for Los Angeles.

With the Cavaliers now eliminated, the future of Mitchell in Cleveland remains in doubt. He is eligible for an extension but there have been rumors about him wanting out of the organization. If he refuses to sign an extension, Cleveland would likely need to trade him this summer.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst provided some information about this, including mentioning the Lakers as a potential landing spot for him. He also mentioned that Mitchell would be able to dictate a trade if he were to not sign an extension.

"What would happen here, I think if Donovan chose not to extend, he would be able to kind of direct the trade a little bit,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said.

Three teams will be "at the top of the list" of Donovan Mitchell trade suitors if he doesn’t extend in Cleveland, per @WindhorstESPN:

Lakers
Heat
Nets

Windhorst notes that Mitchell will be able to somewhat direct a trade with one year left on his contract. pic.twitter.com/3L1lxJcwir
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) May 15, 2024

If the Lakers could land Mitchell, it would be a game-changer. His fit around LeBron James and Anthony Davis is ideal and he would give them a better chance to win a title next season.

However, it also seems that one Eastern Conference powerhouse team may also have an interest in Mitchell.

“I just want to underscore this, because I have to deal with Cleveland. I’m not saying he’s leaving,” Windhorst said of Mitchell. “The other thing I would say is the Miami Heat. The Miami Heat have been star hunting for a year now. They’re always star hunting. They have some players on their roster, potentially be interesting to Cleveland, not as deep in draft picks, though, as the other ones.”

If Miami gets involved in the trade talks, they could outbid the Lakers. Los Angeles would need to rely on Cleveland wanting to send Mitchell to a Western Conference team, giving them an edge.

Whatever happens, the Lakers have to upgrade the roster this offseason. Adding a third star could work but depth is also equally important, especially in this day and age of the NBA.

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