Is Donovan Mitchell the Key to Lakers' Future?

As the Los Angeles Lakers start looking for a new coach and new roster once again, the Lakers also need another leader. Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell is that player that needs to be in the purple and gold next season.

What Mitchell is doing in the 2024 playoffs?

The Cleveland Cavaliers fell in Game 6 on Friday night in Orlando 103-96, making the series tied and heading to Game 7. Mitchell scored 50 points, shooting 22-of-36 from the field.

He scored more than half of the Cavaliers’ points. Cleveland has tons of young talent, but Mitchell is in his prime and looking to win a championship. He will be only 28 in November when the 2024-2025 season begins.

Furthermore, he would be in the fourth year of his five-year contract with the Cavaliers. With Darius Garland already in Cleveland, Mitchell could not control the ball or reach his potential as a playmaker when he was with the Utah Jazz.

What would it cost?

The Lakers, depending on the trade, would probably have to give up Austin Reaves and multiple first- round picks which I personally would hate.

However, LeBron James is about to be 40 years old. You could still have a dynamite duo with LeBron getting rest with Mitchell and Anthony Davis. Mitchell could be the next star in Los Angeles if he wants with the possibility of getting a super max contract offer since he would be on the Lakers.

With a healthy roster, which is always key, you’d still have a mid-level exception along with a healthy Gabe Vincent as a backup point guard. The other key would be what the Lakers would do with that mid-level exception and how they’d fill out the rest of the roster.

Take James out of it, having a duo of Mitchell and Davis would keep the Lakers in contention in the West, especially with emerging stars like Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and Jamal Murray.

The Lakers could be in a better place to stop those stars than they have been since their 2020 NBA Championship if they pull the trigger. The Lakers haven’t had a true star point guard since Magic Johnson.

This trade wouldn’t just be about next year, but the next five to seven years. The Lakers have the personalities and stars. They may just need the humble star.    

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