RealGM

One of the fears for Cleveland fans is that Mitchell doesn't agree to an extension and could soon walk in free agency. There's been rumours that he could ask for a trade or that without the assurances of an extension the Cavs themselves could look to move him.

With an emphasis and preference for long-term contracts I had the idea of LaMelo for Mitchell.

The Cavs gets a younger guard who's locked in on a long term deal and is an all-star caliber player when healthy (more on that soon).

Charlotte takes the risk, can they in a years time convince Mitchell that playing on a young team with Brandon Miller, Mark Williams, and a high 2024 pick is the best spot for him to be in?

Does LaMelo's health concerns mean Charlotte needs to add value? If so how much value?

Just trying to gauge how close in value people see LaMelo (younger, locked up long term) and Donovan Mitchell (older, not locked up long-term)

Charlotte wouldnt take the risk without an extension IMO.

star for star trades are fairly uncommon to begin with.

Charlotte is nowhere near where they need to be to start trading for stars entering their 3rd contract.

If Charlotte is willing to trade LaMelo, no team would be willing to trade for him.

HadAnEffectHere wrote:If Charlotte is willing to trade LaMelo, no team would be willing to trade for him.

this really should be stickied to every thread with LaMelo (or Zion, or insert injury prone star here) in the title. It just isn't happening.

How does a Garland/Ball backcourt make any kind of sense for Cleveland?

HornetJail wrote:

HadAnEffectHere wrote:If Charlotte is willing to trade LaMelo, no team would be willing to trade for him.

this really should be stickied to every thread with LaMelo (or Zion, or insert injury prone star here) in the title. It just isn't happening.

It’s not really true - fully true. Right now.

Hornets want to win more, so Ball isn’t on the trade market. Hornets are looking to add to Ball. But…

Say come trade deadline Hornets are terrible, Ball is healthy, Ball offers might become too good to deny.

Right now in a star for star trade - Ball shouldn’t be considered.

Pretty significantly IMO...for both teams. I have Donovan ahead of LaMelo in a vacuum, then you add in the injuries and contracts, and I don't think either teams wants to make that swap...unless Cleveland knows Mitchell is leaving, then maybe they'd be interested depending on the sweeteners. But Charlotte would need to offer some stupidly attractive sweeteners.

I think for this to happen you might need:

1) A 3rd team to want Lamelo and send the Cavs a wing and assets (Nets for instance).

And you would need:

2) The Hornets to either shed some money and sign Paul George who is secretly friends with Mitchell and they want to play in Charlotte, or you're looking at a picks trade for a starter (or 2) to go with Mitchell, Miller and the Williamses and probably Mitchell has to think Brandon Miller is going to be prime Middleton by the 2026 playoffs at the latest.

If Mitchell indicates he's ok with Charlotte, and LaMelo passes a physical, I don't see why this couldn't work. Other than teams do not have the stomach to make star for star trades.

If Mitchell actually signed off and Charlotte felt they could keep him, I think it would be Miller as a base not Ball.

I see no world where Mitchell would not extend in Cleveland but would in Charlotte.