After a long, drawn-out summer, the NBA offseason finally appears to be over. Donovan Mitchell was traded. Kevin Durant was not. Free agents signed or re-signed. Barring something truly shocking, rosters should be mostly set by the start of training camp, which is rapidly approaching (gulp) by the end of September. So with only a few microscopic flecks of dust needing to settle, let’s hand out some offseason awards.
Best Move: Cavaliers acquire Donovan Mitchell
Cleveland acquired a borderline All-NBA talent with three years left on his contract without giving up any of its tantalizing young core, and parting ways with only one player from last season’s playoff rotation. That’s a home run, no matter what the draft pick cultists will tell you. (And if I have Evan Mobley and Darius Garland on my team, I’m willing to bet I won’t be in the lottery most years.) Mitchell is by the far the highest-impact player to switch rosters this summer. Does he have flaws? Of course. Can he improve them, particularly his defense? Absolutely. More important, the Cavs now have the best player from 2022’s best offense. That’s not a bad way to beef up a core that includes two All-Stars and an emerging generational defender.
