Rockets could find perfect Donovan Mitchell opening after Cavaliers’ playoff failure

Ever since making a blockbuster trade for Donovan Mitchell, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been all-in on winning a championship. The Cavaliers have had the highest payroll in the league over the past two seasons.

That has brought them regular-season success, but this was the first year they made the Eastern Conference Finals with Donovan Mitchell on the team, and they were swept by the Knicks.

Cleveland may be forced to ask some uncomfortable questions. If the Cavaliers decide that this core simply cannot compete for a championship, then Houston should absolutely look to acquire Donovan Mitchell.

Donovan Mitchell would solve Houston’s biggest problem

The Houston Rockets fell short in the NBA playoffs largely due to their inefficient offense. Without Kevin Durant and Fred VanVleet, the Rockets had no reliable perimeter offensive creator. The team could not generate easy three-point opportunities, and the lack of spacing suffocated their interior offense as well.

Having a healthy roster will address some of those concerns, but even before Durant went down with an injury, shooting and offensive creation were Houston’s biggest problems. Donovan Mitchell is one of the league's premier offensive creators.

Over the past five seasons, he has averaged 26.5 points and 5.3 assists as a 6-foot-2 shooting guard. He is one of the most skilled scorers in the game.

Mitchell’s biggest flaw is his defensive impact. Being undersized, there is only so much he can do to overcome that issue. However, the Rockets are perfectly built to compensate for Mitchell’s defensive concerns. Amen Thompson is one of the league’s nastiest bulldogs on the perimeter, and Ime Udoka’s system has every role player playing their heart out defensively.

The price would be painful, but worth exploring

This is where things get complicated. On one hand, Mitchell’s contract situation could slightly decrease his value. He has a player option for 2028 and would likely want long-term security from any team trading for him. He is also entering his age-30 season, and undersized guards can be risky bets as they age.

Still, players like Mitchell rarely become available. He is one of the league’s best offensive creators, and Houston has enough young talent and draft capital to match Cleveland's asking price.

Assuming Thompson and Sengun are off the table, as they probably should be in a Donovan Mitchell trade, Houston would likely need to build a package around Fred VanVleet, Reed Sheppard and draft picks. VanVleet would mainly be needed for salary-matching purposes, while Sheppard and the picks would be the real value going back to Cleveland.

If the Cavaliers would prefer Jabari Smith Jr.’s long-term contract over VanVleet’s deal, then the Rockets should be willing to listen. Smith is a valuable young piece, but Houston cannot treat every member of its young core as untouchable if a player like Mitchell becomes available.

It would be expensive, but adding Donovan Mitchell would be worth every penny. He directly addresses Houston’s biggest weakness, and the Rockets have the defensive infrastructure to compensate for his shortcomings.

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