Why Rockets Shouldn't Trade for Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell

The Houston Rockets are seen as a bad trade destination for Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell.

Jeremy Brener | May 8, 2024

May 7, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) tries to / Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

If the Cleveland Cavaliers lose their playoff series to the Boston Celtics, Donovan Mitchell could be looking for a new home.

Mitchell is a free agent after the 2024-25 season, and his name has been thrown around in trade rumors for a while.

The Houston Rockets could be looking for a big move, and Mitchell would certainly qualify, but Bleacher Report believes the marriage wouldn't be smart for either side.

"After seeing such massive improvement in Phase 2 of the Rockets' rebuild (a 19-win increase), there will be a temptation to go head first into Phase 3," Bleacher Report writes. "There's already talk of them trying to take "a big, big swing," and a trade for Mitchell is about as big a swing as anyone can make this offseason. But Mitchell should want no part of it, and honestly, Houston may not, either. The Rockets are bristling with young talent, but they should avoid substantial changes until they have a better grasp on just how good building blocks like Alperen Şengün and Jalen Green can be. Similarly, if Mitchell wants out of Cleveland—where the Cavs have won 60.4 percent of their games since his September 2022 arrival—he'd presumably want into a situation that's more conducive to contention than Houston's current state."

Adding Mitchell to the Rockets could make them better, but the team would have to be configured completely different to cater to his ball-handling needs. Jalen Green would certainly have to be in the deal, and Amen Thompson could also be a requirement for the Cavaliers. That's a hefty price for the Rockets to pay.

Ultimately, Mitchell could find a new home in the offseason, but Houston should stay the course with its young core and turn down any enticing opportunities to cash in for a win-now player before seeing what the group can actually accomplish together.

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Published May 8, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.