Last Thursday, the biggest trade of the summer went down. As the Cleveland Cavaliers agreed a deal with the Utah Jazz to acquire All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell!

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The Cavaliers sending Utah Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, three unprotected 1st round draft picks & two pick swaps.

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A huge haul from Cleveland to give up and without doubt the biggest move the team has ever made without LeBron James being on the team, but just why did Cleveland want Mitchell and what will he bring to a Cavaliers team looking to break into the top of the East and return to the playoffs?

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1. Elite Scoring

Donovan Mitchell may not be considered one of the best players in basketball right now but his ability to score the basketball is undeniable. The 25 year old has a Career PPG of 23.9, having averaged 25.4 PPG over the last three seasons as the lead scorer on a Utah Jazz team that have competed at the top of the Western Conference.

Last season, Mitchell averaged 25.9 points, making 53% of his two-point attempts and 35.5% of his threes on very high volume across 67 regular season games, as he led the Jazz to yet another postseason berth.

Mitchell has been the lead scorer on a Utah team that has made the playoffs every season since being drafted ahead in 2017. He has the scoring prowess to lead Cleveland back to the playoffs.

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2. Star Power

Mitchell's scoring alone make him a star but he offers more than that. Spida is a three time All-Star that strikes fear into opposing teams with his combination of speed, athleticism and clutch play.

The former Jazz guard is also a proven winner, having led Utah, along with Rudy Gobert, to winning seasons in each of his five years in the NBA. There aren't many players who can boast an achievement like that and he will only get better from this moment.

Donovan's ability to score and his often scary athleticism gets fans off their seats and earns victories for his team, something Cleveland have been missing since LeBron James left back in 2018.

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3. Playoff Pedigree

Many will look at Utah's failure to get beyond the 2nd round of the playoffs over the past five seasons and blame Donovan Mitchell but in reality it was the make-up of the team because Donovan Mitchell always showed up in the playoffs.

Mitchell boasts a Career 28.3 Playoff PPG average, in 39 playoff games. Kevin Love (62 games) is the only member of the Cavaliers franchise with more playoff appearances and Mitchell is still yet to hit his prime.

The former Utah guard really came to live during the 2020 playoffs, averaging 36.3 points, 5 rebounds & 5 assists on 54% (2's) and 52% (3's) shooting splits. This included a 57 point outpouring, the third highest single game scoring haul in playoff history. He was electric again in 2021, averaging 32.3 points, 4 rebounds & 5.5 assists on 46% (2's) and 44% (3's) shooting splits, as the Jazz were eliminated in the 2nd round.

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Donovan Mitchell can provide the edge the Cavaliers are looking for to get back into the playoffs. He will only be 26 starting the new season and is under contract for at least the next three seasons. He has not yet hit his prime in the NBA and Cleveland fans should be excited to see him enter those years in a Cavaliers uniform.

The future is bright, Eastern Conference be on alert!

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(Picture Credit- Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)