Donovan Mitchell’s Cavs Arrival Has A Wild 15-Year Twist

· Yahoo Sports

Donovan Mitchell has become one of the most important players in Cleveland, but the path that brought him there is far more complicated than one blockbuster trade. The Cavaliers spent years making moves that produced value at different points, and one of those decisions is tied to a part of the franchise’s history that seems completely unrelated to Mitchell.

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That connection stretches across multiple eras of Cleveland basketball. Players came and went, draft picks changed hands, and the Cavaliers kept turning one asset into another while building toward a much bigger payoff.

Donovan Mitchell’s Cleveland Story Has An Unexpected Link

The first major piece of the chain came in 2011, when Cleveland sent Mo Williams and Jamario Moon to the Los Angeles Clippers. In return, the Cavaliers received Baron Davis and an unprotected first-round pick.

Apr 20, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) talks with guard James Harden (1) during the first half during game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images

That pick quickly became much more valuable than anyone could have expected. Cleveland landed the No. 1 selection in the 2011 NBA Draft and used it to take Kyrie Irving, giving the franchise a future All-Star who would eventually become one of the biggest names in Cavaliers history.

Irving later became part of another important transaction when Cleveland sent him to the Boston Celtics in 2017. The Cavaliers received several assets in that deal, including a first-round pick that originally belonged to the Brooklyn Nets.

Cleveland eventually used that selection to draft Collin Sexton with the No. 8 pick in 2018. At that point, the connection to Mitchell still seemed almost impossible to see.

The Cavaliers Finally Cash In On The Old Assets

Sexton became the next link in the chain. After four seasons in Cleveland, he was included in the package the Cavaliers sent to the Utah Jazz for Mitchell in 2022.

May 21, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (25) dribbles against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during the second quarter of game two of the eastern conference finals of the 2026 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The deal brought Mitchell to Cleveland in exchange for Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, three first-round picks and two pick swaps. What looked like a completely new chapter for the Cavaliers was actually connected to years of earlier asset management.

That is what makes Mitchell’s arrival so unusual. One of the players used to acquire him was acquired via a draft pick that came through another trade, which in turn stemmed from an earlier decision to move Williams and Moon.

The Cavaliers did not know in 2011 that they were setting up a future path to Donovan Mitchell. They simply made a trade, then kept making decisions with the assets that followed.

Fifteen years later, that chain had helped Cleveland build a team around another All-Star guard. The move that started with Mo Williams and Jamario Moon ultimately became part of the long road that led the Cavaliers to Mitchell.

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