Donovan Mitchell traded to Cleveland in blockbuster deal

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A Spida in Cleveland: Donovan Mitchell is traded to the Cavaliers. How consequential is it for both teams?

Knicks For Clicks: How did the Knicks not end up with Mitchell, and is it even a bad thing?

Eurobasket Chills and Thrills: Dirk has one more legendary moment, and how was Luka outscored by 2 other Slovenians?

FYI, Kenny and some of the Enj🏀y Basketball team will be at Bulls Fest in Chicago on September 4th! Hope to see y’all there!

Donovan Mitchell traded to Cavaliers

What Happened

So... this came out of nowhere. The Utah Jazz traded Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, Ochai Agbaji, three unprotected first round picks ('25, '27, and '29), and two pick swaps ('26 and '28).

What this means for the Cavs

Cleveland is now looking SCARY with Spida alongside Darius Garland, Caris Levert, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. Though they didn't make it past the play-in last season, this addition confidently moves them past the Bulls and Raptors and possibly the Hawks, Heat, and more. By bringing in a 25 year old star who perfectly fits their timeline, the Cavs are loaded and will get substantially better every season with the developments of their top four guys who are all 25 or younger.

Darius Garland perfectly compliments Mitchell on the offensive side of the ball because he is a phenomenal passer and perimeter shooter, two of Spida's weaker areas. However, both guards are a smaller 6'1" which raises some defensive concerns. Still, the Cavaliers uniquely have the defensive interior to handle it, with their Twin Towers stifling anything near the rim. For more expansive analysis, watch Kenny react right after the news hit:

Though the Cavs gave up draft rights to current 7th graders, they are guaranteed to be very good for the next three years with Spida and have Mobley locked in for another 6+ years. They gave up Agbaji, the 14th overall pick, which is equivalent to giving up a 1st rounder but now the Cavs have perhaps the best backcourt in the league so it should be worth it! When trading tons of assets for a star, the trade is only worth it if the team's ceiling is high, and Cleveland's is. With Mobley headed for All-Defensive and All-NBA teams, along with possibly Garland and Allen as well, the Cavs maximized Mitchell's utility. Good work.

What this means for the Jazz

The Jazz shed their other all star for a slew of draft capital and solid younger guys, fully entering their rebuild. They now have 15 first round picks in the upcoming 7 drafts, as many as the OKC Thunder! In the coming months, they will likely unload other veterans like Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdonovic, Jordan Clarkson, and Rudy Gay for more draft capital. If they get Victor Webenyama, then elite French big men must just have a thing for Utah.

It is also worth noting that the Jazz signed Sexton, who was a restricted free agent, to a 4 year/$72 million deal. Given the salary cap increases every year and Sexton averaged 24 PPG in his last healthy season at just 22 years of age, $18 mil a year seems like a pretty fair number.

The Knicks Factor

We will keep this brief because we also hate the #KnicksForClicks tendency of the media. It seemed like Mitchell, who grew up New York kid, would be heading home. Per Shams Charania, New York's final offers included RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, two swaps and two unprotected picks. When the Jazz demanded three firsts and another young player, the Knicks refused. Knicks got lucky the Jazz said no to this deal:

While the internet will clown the Knicks for "striking out" on another star, Leon Rose and the front office showed discipline on what they were and were not willing to give up. While it sucks that the NY kid won't come home, a Mitchell/Randle/Brunson lineup would at best be a second round exit so it is probably smart to not give up all draft picks for the next 6 years. Seeing Stephen A. Smith in shambles is entertaining, though.

Eurobasket chills and thrills

What is it?

Eurobasket is the championship basketball tournament held every four years between European countries. It features foreign players like Luka Doncic (Slovenia), Domantas Sabonis (Lituania), and Dennis Schroder (Germany) who get to unlock a whole new layer to their game when not playing with/against NBA-level talent.

Some Chills: Dirk's German Jersey Retirement

Yesterday Dirk Nowitzki, the best European player of all time, got his German jersey retired. Did you know he wore #14 internationally, and wanted to wear #14 when entering the NBA but Robert Pack did not want to give up his number to a rookie? To solve for it, Dirk flipped the numbers and made 41 equally iconic. But seriously, check out this chilling retirement ceremony of #14:

Some Thrills:

Slovenia's Doncic and Goran Dragic squared off against Lithuania's Sabonis and Jonas Valanciunas in a clash of two European powerhouses. The atmosphere in events like these are just different. National pride and more cohesive teamwork lead to a more passionate and pretty game which we love. To find out how Slovenia won 92-85 despite Doncic only being the THIRD leading scorer on his team, watch the electric three minute highlight real here:

If RJ Barrett Can’t Help the Knicks Land a Star, Can He Be One Himself? - Dan Devine (The Ringer)

How the Wolves Stagger Towns and Gobert Will Outline Their Rotation - Mike O'Hagan (Canis Hoopus)

The Thompson twins and Overtime Elite's unproven path to the NBA - Israel Gutierrez (ESPN)

Remaining NBA free agents: 10 players who are still unsigned - Alex Kennedy (Basketball News)

That'll do it for us here at Enjoy Basketball. Go outside and enjoy the day. That 7th grader that just walked by you? The Jazz might draft him 7 years from now.

-Conor Geelan

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