Is there a price the Lakers could pay to get Donovan Mitchell?

The Cleveland Cavaliers have made it clear that Donovan Mitchell isn’t available with the looming NBA trade deadline. Instead, any outside speculation has shifted toward this summer, when Mitchell has expressed that will be the earliest he entertains signing an extension with the Cavs. Recently, ESPN’s NBA insider Dave McMenamin shared that the Los Angeles Lakers, who already have LeBron James and Anthony Davis on their roster, could try to be in the mix for Mitchell’s services if Cleveland cannot re-sign him.

“The Lakers currently have only one future first-round pick available to trade, but starting on the day of the NBA draft, they’ll have three: 2031, 2029 and either 2024 or 2025, depending on whether New Orleans chooses to use the 2024 pick it previously received from L.A. or defers it to the next draft,” McMenamin wrote.

“The Lakers have discussed internally the possibility of packaging three picks, along with players they already have on their books, to pursue a bona fide star, such as Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers or Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks, team sources told ESPN.”

So, if things go sideways for the Cavs in guaranteeing that their superstar shooting guard spends his prime in Cleveland, there are legitimate options. Sure, it’s the Lakers who, like the Miami Heat, are always in the mix for the latest disgruntled superstar. But if Los Angeles were to come calling, what would it take for Cleveland and President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman to pick up the phone?

As McMenamin mentioned, the Lakers will have three tradable first-round picks at their disposal, which depends on what the New Orleans Pelicans decide to do with the pick swaps they acquire in the Anthony Davis trade.

Either way, draft picks are nice for a team like Cleveland that already has Darius Garland and Evan Mobley as their franchise pillars. Still, they don’t totally move the needle for a Cavs team that’s looking to continue toward becoming elite in the Eastern Conference.

What a Lakers-Cavs Donovan Mitchell trade would have to look like

So, with that said, here’s a more realistic trade package centered around Los Angeles acquiring Mitchell:

Los Angeles Lakers get: Donovan Mitchell
Cleveland Cavaliers get: Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, 2025 first-round pick (via Lakers), 2029 first-round pick (via Lakers), 2031 first-round pick (via Lakers)

While this may seem like a steep asking price for the Lakers, sources say it will take that much for the Cavs to entertain trading Mitchell.

Those same sources said that Cleveland is looking to recoup the draft picks after sending three first-rounders and two picks swaps to the Utah Jazz to acquire Mitchell, allowing them to be more dynamic in improving their roster around the core of Garland and Mobley. Adding two key perimeter players at positions of need for the Cavs with Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura moves the needle toward what Cleveland is also looking for.

Besides, with this upcoming offseason being a year where LeBron James can elect to enter free agency or not, it means the pressure is on for the Lakers to keep the greatest player of all time in Hollywood. Mortgaging their future, just like they did to acquire Davis years ago, a second time doesn’t seem unrealistic for Los Angeles, considering how committed they are to James and remaining in championship contention.

So, if giving up two of their best three-point shooting threats and a boatload of picks does the trick, then the Lakers are willing to bite the bullet. Either way, chatter about Mitchell joining the Lakers won’t be at its loudest until this summer, especially if he declines to sign an extension with the Cavs.

If a Donovan Mitchell trade were to happen between both organizations, the package shown above, or something similar, would be what it took to close the deal. Mitchell would pair nicely with James and Davis, and the myriad free agents Los Angeles can attract to flesh out their roster. Meanwhile, a starting lineup featuring Garland, Reaves, and Mobley is a great pivot point for Cleveland, allowing them to retool and reload after missing out on keeping Mitchell.