Who saw that coming?
After an off-season full of Donovan Mitchell to the New York Knicks talk, a different Eastern Conference team has secured the All-Star’s services, with the Cleveland Cavaliers making a massive statement on Friday (AEST).
According to ESPN, Cleveland has acquired Utah’s Mitchell in a monster deal that will see the Cavaliers send three first-round picks (2025, 2027, and 2029), two pick swaps (2026 and 2028), Lauri Markkanen, Colin Sexton, and 2022 first-round pick Ochai Agbaji to the Jazz.
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Per multiple reports, Sexton is signing a four-year, $72 million ($A106m) contract via sign-and-trade.
The deal itself comes as a massive shock to the NBA world, and Knicks fans in particular, who were waiting patiently for a Mitchell trade that seemed inevitable.
New York’s decision to extend RJ Barrett on a four-year, $120 million ($A177m) deal earlier in the week was initially reported as nothing but a minor hurdle in acquiring Mitchell.
Now, it appears to have killed any deal.
Mitchell, in the second year of a five-year, $163m ($A240m) deal, is a three-time All-Star and averaged 25.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists a game last season for a Jazz organisation that has now fully committed to a rebuild after trading away Rudy Gobert earlier this off-season.
