The clock could be ticking on Donovan Mitchell's tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers. With free agency awaiting him as soon as next summer—he has a $37.1 million player option for 2025-26, per Spotrac—his future could be the biggest talking point of this offseason.
While it's possible he is content in Cleveland, several teams (including the Lakers) "have their offers ready" in case he isn't, ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on Get Up.
It's tough to imagine a more talented player the Lakers could acquire this offseason. Mitchell, who turns 28 in September, has been an All-Star in each of the five past five seasons while averaging 26.2 points, 5.0 assists and 3.2 three-pointers over this span. He is a one-,man wrecking crew on offense, but his shooting and distributing allow him to mesh with other stars around.
Getting him to Hollywood would be a challenge, since the Lakers don't have the best hypothetical package to offer. If he communicated a desire to land in L.A., though, that could help immensely. While it perhaps goes without saying, the Lakers would have to give up essentially everything for him: all three picks, Reaves and then whatever veterans or prospects Cleveland would want.
