CLEVELAND — Last week, the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off one of their biggest trades in franchise history, acquiring Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz.
Shortly after the trade was made official on Saturday, the Cavs took to social media to celebrate the occasion, posting multiple videos announcing the arrival of the three-time All-Star guard.
In one video posted to the team's official Facebook page, news reports and reactions to the trade can be heard as highlights of Mitchell and his new teammates, including Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are played. The video also features tweets from figures around the NBA praising the trade, which gives Cleveland one of the most promising young cores in the entire league.
In a separate post, the Cavs solely focused on Mitchell, who at 25 years old is considered one of the NBA's best young guards. After being selected with the No. 13 pick of the 2017 NBA Draft, the 6-foot-1 Mitchell has averaged 23.9 points on .441 percent shooting (.361 from 3-point range), 4.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds while leading the Jazz to the playoffs in each of the first five seasons of his NBA career.
“The acquisition of Donovan Mitchell presented us with an incredible opportunity to bring one of the NBA’s most dynamic young All-Stars to Cleveland,” Cavs President of Basketball Operation Koby Altman said in a statement. “Already a special and proven talent at just 25-years-old, Donovan brings a competitive mentality that organically fits with the core group of this team. We are excited to see the impact that someone of Donovan’s caliber can bring to the Cavaliers with his ability to score the basketball, but also make plays for his teammates. We welcome Donovan and his entire family to Northeast Ohio."
In order to acquire Mitchell, the Cavs traded three unprotected first-round picks, two pick swaps, guard Collin Sexton -- who agreed to a four-year, $72 million extension as a part of a sign-and-trade -- forward Lauri Markkanen and rookie swingman Ochair Agbaji to the Jazz.
"I also want to thank Collin and Lauri for their contributions to our team as well as Ochai, who has a very promising future in this league," Altman said. "The Cavaliers have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for all three players and wish them and their families all the best in Utah.”