5-Time All-Star floated as Lakers top trade target
The Los Angeles Lakers season is over. A 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Denver Nuggets halted what had been a disappointing season for Darvin Ham’s team. Now, as the Lakers head into the offseason, there will be a significant amount of questions surrounding how they rebuild their roster ahead of the 2024-25 season.
According to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, Donovan Mitchell could emerge as the Purple and Gold’s top trade target during the summer. The All-Star guard’s future has been a topic hanging over the heads of the Cleveland Cavaliers for multiple seasons.
“Cavaliers fans won’t want to hear this, but any team searching for a perimeter star this summer will look long and hard at Donovan Mitchell,” Buckley wrote. “…If Cleveland winds up hearing overtures on Mitchell, L.A. be ready to make an aggressive pitch. His quantity-plus-quality scoring, shot-creation and secondary playmaking would all be valuable assets in L.A. The Lakers have been looking for someone to take the offensive burden off of James’ shoulders, and Mitchell seems the best equipped to do that among all of the realistic trade candidates.”
Mitchell will be entering the final guaranteed year of his contract next season. He has yet to sign a contract extension or verbally commit his future to the Cavaliers. The Lakers would likely feel confident in acquiring and extending the star guard.
However, any deal to bring Mitchell to Los Angeles would undoubtedly be costly. Rob Pelinka would need to be certain Mitchell is the missing piece to his puzzle. Nevertheless, if the Lakers wanted a deal over the line, they have the assets to get it done.
