CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) — Cavaliers president of Basketball Operations Koby Altman boiled down the acquisition of Donovan Mitchell in a trade with the Utah Jazz to just one question: “Does Donovan Mitchell make us a better basketball team?”
The short answer is yes, but for Altman it was far more complicated.
“Obviously it comes with some pain to create probably one of the biggest trades in franchise history,” Altman said.
That pain was the price the Cavaliers paid to land a three-time All-Star: Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, the No. 14 overall selection in this year’s draft Ochai Agbaji, three unprotected first-round picks and a pair of pick swaps.
Make no mistake, there’s no buyer’s remorse.
However, Altman credits the groundwork for the culture that the Cavaliers currently boast to two players that are headed the other way in the deal.
“Collin Sexton, he was a cultural fixture in this organization for four years. He's going to be missed. He brought an incredible tenacity with him every single day during some hard times,”: Altman said. “Lauri Markkanen, who's killing it overseas right now, we only had him for one year, but he helped us with a tremendously fun season.”
But there’s no fun in getting bounced in the play-in round of the NBA postseason.
That’s something that Altman and his staff set out to rectify by trading for a player who’s never missed the playoffs in his five-year career.
Mitchell’s acquisition instantly makes the Wine and Gold a threat in the Eastern Conference and managing those expectations is a challenge Mitchell is looking forward to.
“We have to go out there and do the work. On paper, we look scary. But, you know, at the end of the day, it comes down to what we do in the gym,” Mitchell said. I can't sit here and tell you, ‘yes we look like a championship team.’ We've got to go out there and prove it every night.”
Mitchell is also anxious to reunite with Ricky Rubio in Cleveland. The pair teamed up for two seasons in Utah and he credits Rubio for helping him through the growing pains a young player endures and understanding the commitment it takes to win in the postseason.
“That's my guy. I called him Jesus. He cut his hair now. But back when he was in Utah, he had the hair and the whole bit,” Mitchell said. “He really helped me lock in on the little details as far as my work, as far as my craft, as far as the possession game. I'm forever grateful for Ricky Rubio.”
If Rubio helped instill a winning mindset that spurred a 22-win improvement last season, Mitchell takes it to the next level. Rubio embraced and trusted in a system built on genuine chemistry and competitiveness. Mitchell’s combination of skill and personality blends perfectly into the Cavs recipe they used for success last year.
“When you don't have to sacrifice people over talent, you give yourself an opportunity to build something special,” head coach J.B.
Bickerstaff said. “You add a player of his caliber, he's going to make other guys better because he's going to push them.”
If Mitchell’s comments are any indication, the competition in practice has already cranked up a notch. Once the full squad comes together in training camp, Bickerstaff will begin experimenting with lineup combinations.
No matter who is on the floor, Mitchell likes the talent that he’s surrounded by.
“When I found out who was on the team, I was like, ‘wow, we have a team that really can compete. A team that was in the play-in game but was in third for most of the year until some injuries had come about,” Mitchell said. “For me, just bringing my playoff experience and what I've seen to a group that's already phenomenal, I think that can be really special.”
Cavs fans are hoping it can be, too.