Lakers, Nets and 3 more teams that should have Donovan Mitchell trade offers prepared

The Cleveland Cavaliers travel to Beantown to face the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals tonight. It might as well be a funeral. Maybe Cleveland comes out with a superhuman effort to extend the series one more game, but with Donovan Mitchell sidelined, all logic points to Boston winning this game and advancing.

If Cleveland loses — or perhaps more accurately, once Cleveland loses (we'll see if this reverse jinx works) — all eyes will turn to Mitchell, who is approaching the final year of his contract. The Cavs will try to extend Mitchell, but if he declines, that sets the stage for what feels like an inevitable departure in free agency next summer.

That puts Koby Altman and the front office in a tough spot. Mitchell gives Cleveland a puncher's chance in the winnable East, but if he's only biding his time until he's allowed to leave, it's probably wise to cash in and pivot. A Mitchell trade may not be inevitable, but it sure feels likely.

According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets already have offers lined up for the 27-year-old.

The Lakers are eager to plant a third star next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Nets, meanwhile, need to put a real source of shot creation next to Mikal Bridges. Both teams would obviously love to get their hands on Mitchell, who could be inclined to extend his contract in a more robust market.

That said, Los Angeles and Brooklyn won't be the only teams with interest in the five-time All-Star. These front offices should also move aggressively to acquire Mitchell.

3. Bulls can finally find purpose with Donovan Mitchell trade

Look, we all think the Chicago Bulls should rebuild. The front office has been firmly dedicated to definitional insanity in recent years, however, trying the same thing over and over and over again, with the results never changing. If the Bulls aren't going to tear it down, there's no point in gunning for another Play-In Tournament. Might as well take this contending thing seriously.

Chicago has the draft ammo and young talent to tempt Cleveland. The Cavs probably aren't keen to keep Mitchell in the same division, but Cleveland has more important concerns if Mitchell quietly forces his way out. If the Bulls put forth the best offer, that should be enough to land Mitchell in Michael Jordan's old stomping grounds.

In terms of market size and league history, one has to believe Mitchell would at least be open to setting up shop in the United Center. The Bulls aren't a complete zero, of course. DeMar DeRozan can re-sign. Zach LaVine would probably be included in this trade or flipped to a third team to make room for Mitchell. Coby White, Alex Caruso, Nikola Vucevic — these are real pieces. It will be hard to keep all their valuable assets in a Mitchell trade, but Chicago can put a respectable product on the floor.

With how weak the East is right now, that's all that really matters. Mitchell has proven his mettle in the postseason; he's one of the most productive individual offensive engines in the NBA. He can drag a mediocre roster to respectability. If he can accomplish something in Chicago, well, that's special. That is the sort of legacy achievement Mitchell might care about.

Chicago has to commit one way or another. Either blow it up and actually go for it. There'd have to be some indication that Mitchell will ink an extension — the Bulls can't unload the clip, only for Mitchell to walk next summer — but Chicago needs to be at the front of the line when Cleveland starts fielding calls.

2. Donovan Mitchell still makes plenty of sense for the Knicks

The New York Knicks are on the verge of a conference finals appearance despite several crippling injuries. Tom Thibodeau has built the East's peskiest contender. No team plays harder, and no team is more dedicated to its core tenets.

Despite all this success, however, the Knicks cannot rest on their laurels this summer. The East will probably get stronger in the offseason, and this playoffs run does feel a bit fluky when factoring in the injuries suffered by Philadelphia and Milwaukee. New York needs to get better — to build off this run, rather than getting complacent.

Mitchell was a popular Knicks trade target a few years back, but New York lost the bidding war with Cleveland. A lot has changed in the years since, most notably with Jalen Brunson's ascent. The Knicks already have a small guard superstar in the backcourt — a ball-dominant creator who methodically picks apart the defense. Mitchell and Brunson unquestionably overlap, and it's fair to ponder the downside of starring two 6-foot-3 (or shorter) guards in 2025.

Both Brunson and Mitchell are below-average defenders. The Knicks have managed to blanket Brusnon with length and toughness at the other four positions. Opposing teams won't need to work as hard to locate and exploit mismatches if both Brunson and Mitchell are sharing the court for 40 minutes per game.

That said, it's impossible to overstate how much of the Knicks' success is predicated on buy-in and dedication. Tom Thibodeau has instilled an identiy in his team that never wavers. That shouldn't change with Mitchell in the mix. New York can still field high-level defenders and voracious rebounders at the other positions on the court. Meanwhile, Mitchell gives the Knicks a second All-Star that can pressure the defense and create from scratch. Combining Brunson's old-school creativity with Mitchell's downhill explosiveness makes New York much harder to defend.

Mitchell would elevate the Knicks' ceiling considerably. It's hard to win with small guards in today's NBA, but Mitchell and Brunson are simply too good to get caught up in precedent. Maybe New York can blaze a new trail.

1. Donovan Mitchell could save the Warriors dynasty

The Golden State Warriors are quietly well-equipped for this sort of blockbuster. Golden State controls its own picks and has several intriguing young players to dangle in trades. Not to mention Klay Thompson and Chris Paul coming off the books.

There's still a lot of money owed to Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins — the financial repercussions of trading for Mitchell get tricky — but at the end of the day, the Warriors owe it to Curry to mount a serious run. Rather than inhabiting the Play-In Tournament and reminiscing about what once was, the Warriors can clean house, reorient the roster around Curry and Mitchell, and try to make some legitimate noise in the West.

Again, there is natural trepidation about starring two small guards, but Curry and Mitchell are outliers. We have seen Steph lead a contender on several occasions. He's one of the great off-ball weapons in NBA history. Right now, however, he's also the Warriors' only real on-ball weapon. Golden State needs another source of shot creation, rim pressure, and playmaking.

Mitchell obviously addresses those needs, and then some. He's constantly ripping defenses asunder with strong-armed drives, but he can also create from scratch and bail out a stagnant offense with difficult shots. Mitchell and Darius Garland in Cleveland are proof of concept for two dynamic playmaking guards, but Curry's constant movement and unmatched 3-point gravity take the concept to an entirely new level. The Warriors' offense would instantly become one of the hardest to contain.

The Warriors occupy the sort of major market that should appeal to Mitchell. At 27, he's also a nice bridge to the future for Golden State. Obviously the goal is to win right now with Curry's prime window dwindling, but Mitchell also gives the Warriors a building block for the post-Curry era. It's worth a thought.