On September 1st, the NBA world received arguably the biggest and most surprising" Woj bomb" of the offseason when it was reported that the Cavaliers acquired Donovan Mitchell in a blockbuster trade. Not only did this news put tears on the faces of Knicks fans who hoped to acquire him but it also could add another contending team in an already loaded Eastern Conference. The move adds a perennial all-star to a talented young team that already had a bright future to now being a team that could make some noise in the playoffs next year.
It cannot be overstated that despite the Cavaliers adding Donovan Mitchell while keeping their young core intact, they still have a ways to go before they can be considered a true title contender. There are simply too many teams in the east with MVP level talent such as the Brooklyn Nets or Milwaukee Bucks. Still, the Cavs have a lot to be excited about as they are at worst a legit playoff team that will get better as they gain more playoff experience and their young stars continue to develop.
The question for the Mitchell-led Cavaliers is what are fair expectations for them next season? Last year they won 44 games finishing as the 9th seed putting them in the play-in tournament where they failed to make the postseason after losses to Brooklyn and Atlanta. With the addition of Mitchell, I believe they are capable of being a 50 win team which should be enough to help avoid the play-in. As far as playoff expectations, they can likely play themselves into conference semifinals at the most as all the expected top teams such as the Celtics, Heat, Bucks and Nets would all be heavily favored over them.
Last year, the Cavaliers finally appeared to have built an identity with a roster that did not have Lebron James on it. With the acquisition of Donovan Mitchell they now have the talent to build a playoff contender that could very well mature into a championship over the next couple seasons
Source: House of Highlights YouTube Channel
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