Cleveland's choppy first-round series with the Orlando Magic has done nothing to quiet questions about the longterm viability of the Cavs' core or Donovan Mitchell's desire to remain a part of it.
And if the five-time All-Star isn't fully sold on their future, then Cleveland may have no choice but to ship him out. He has a $37.1 million player option for 2025-26, per Spotrac, and if he doesn't sign an extension, he could enter free agency next summer and leave for nothing.
If he's angling for an exit, the Lakers have to hope he is specifically pushing to join them, as they're unlikely to have the best trade package. That could certainly happen, though, and it's not as if L.A.'s offer would be insulting. The Lakers could put three firsts and two swaps on the table, plus Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura.
That's obviously a steep price, but Mitchell is obviously a premier player. He's good enough to handle primary scoring and secondary playmaking duties right away, plus he offers enough off-ball utility to share the offensive load with James and Davis.
