ESPN’s Brian Windhorst raised some eyebrows last week when mentioning the Houston Rockets as a potential suitor for Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell this summer. Other teams named were the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, and Brooklyn Nets.
Mitchell’s status is uncertain because he has just one year remaining on his contract, 2024-2025, before he can exercise a player option and become an unrestricted free agent. Mitchell is slated to earn $35.41 million next season. The Cavaliers acquired Mitchell prior to the 2022-2023 season in a blockbuster trade from Utah in hopes that adding a superstar talent to the team’s young core of Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Darius Garland would push the franchise into title contention. The Cavs were eliminated from the postseason on Wednesday at the hands of the Boston Celtics.
If the Rockets were interested in acquiring Mitchell, Houston general manager Rafael Stone has an abundance of assets with which to deal. He could package any of his “Core 6” of young prospects (Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Cam Whitmore, Tari Eason, and Amen Thompson) along with the third pick in this summer’s draft, and any of future draft picks due from the Brooklyn Nets over the next three years. Any deal would almost surely include Green given that he and Mitchell play the same position. Green, who had an up and down third season, is eligible for a contract extension as soon as this summer.
The Rockets won 41 games last year and are looking to make a jump in the Western Conference. But would they push their chips in this early in a trade for a star? Such a move might be premature. Green showed tremendous promise to close the year last season, winning Western Conference Player of the Month honors in March. If he can improve upon his shooting this offseason, Green very well could become the star guard for which the team has been in search.
It’s also highly unlikely that Stone would deal for Mitchell without a commitment that the star guard resign with the team long term. Would Mitchell commit so early to a team in the midst of a multi-year rebuild?
Another angle to watch is that the Rockets own the right to Brooklyn’s draft picks for the next three seasons as a result of the 2021 trade which sent James Harden to Brooklyn. With Brooklyn also a suitor, a trade for Mitchell could take him out of play for the Nets. Given that the future picks are unprotected, its in Houston’s interests that the Nets roster not enjoy a personnel upgrade. Already, Houston’s return from the trade has been Eason, drafted 17th in 2022, and the team’s leader in net rating, and the third pick in this summer’s draft. Houston has unprotected swap rights in 2025 and 2027 and is owed Brooklyn’s pick outright in 2026.
