{"id":2145756,"date":"2026-09-15T14:15:04","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T11:15:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2145756"},"modified":"2026-09-15T14:15:04","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T11:15:04","slug":"the-bounce-donovan-mitchells-cavaliers-arrival-stems-from-a-15-year-old-trade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2145756","title":{"rendered":"The Bounce: Donovan Mitchell\u2019s Cavaliers arrival stems from a 15-year-old trade"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The Bounce Newslette<\/b>r<\/strong>\u00a0\":basketball:\"<\/span>\u00a0| This is The Athletic\u2019s<\/em> daily NBA newsletter.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>\u00a0to receive The Bounce directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n

The official meteorological end of summer is approaching. I felt a crispness in the air this weekend as I stepped outside and sighed, \u201cAhh, yes, basketball season is coming!\u201d We\u2019re almost there, y\u2019all!<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Tradeback Tuesday<\/h3>\n

How a small trade led to a big star in Cleveland<\/strong><\/p>\n

Did you know that Mo Williams and Jamario Moon led to Donovan Mitchell starring for the Cleveland Cavaliers? It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n

Back in February 2011, the Cavs traded Williams and Moon to the Clippers for what was left of Baron Davis and a 2011 first-round pick. That pick turned out to be No. 1 in the lottery, and the Cavs landed Kyrie Irving.<\/p>\n

Irving played for the Cavs for six seasons, helping lure LeBron James back to The Land and win the 2016 NBA championship. But Irving saw the writing on the wall. He seemed to know LeBron wasn\u2019t going to stick around past his 2018 free agency, and he wanted to test out his newfound winning knowledge with his own team.<\/p>\n

Before the 2017-18 season, the Cavs traded Irving to the Boston Celtics for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, a 2018 first-rounder and a 2020 second. Out of those three players, Zizic played the most for the Cavs, logging 113 games over three seasons.<\/p>\n

Thomas was moved before the 2018 trade deadline with Channing Frye and a first for Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson.<\/p>\n

Crowder was also moved in a massive 2018 deadline deal that moved Rodney Hood and George Hill to Cleveland.<\/p>\n

The big part of that original haul for Kyrie was the 2018 first. It came from Brooklyn, via the Celtics. It was the eighth pick in the 2018 lottery, and the Cavs selected Collin Sexton. And that helped lead the Cavs to Mitchell:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It\u2019s unreal that the Cavs acquired Lauri Markkanen in 2021 for Nance and a 2023 second-round pick. The Bulls received Derrick Jones Jr. and a first that became Dailyn Swan this year. The Blazers received Nance. The Cavs eventually flipped Sexton, Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, three firsts and two pick swaps for Mitchell.<\/p>\n

Funny enough, the trades of Thomas and Crowder helped the Cavs acquire players they eventually flipped to absorb Jarrett Allen\u2019s contract in the infamous three-team James Harden trade to Brooklyn in 2021. So moving on from Williams and Moon tipped over the first domino, which led to 40 percent of Cleveland\u2019s current starting lineup.<\/p>\n

The moral of the story? No trade is too small<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

The last 24<\/h3>\n

\ud83c\udfc0 On the agenda. <\/strong>The NBA\u2019s Board of Governors is meeting in New York. Among the big-ticket items: expansion, NBA Europe and fallout from the Clippers punishment<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6 Canadian-bound.<\/strong> Speaking of the Clippers, the Kawhi-to-Toronto trade is officially official. Leonard is heading to the Raptors<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc55 Fashion forward. <\/strong>What are some of the best NBA uniforms that need to make a comeback? Here\u2019s a team-by-team breakdown<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc0 New role. <\/strong>Longtime Bulls forward Taj Gibson has retired \u2014 as a player, at least. He\u2019s joining Chicago\u2019s coaching staff<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Sole sisters<\/h3>\n

As I was watching the FIBA World Cup games last week, particularly Team USA, I was struck by the number of players wearing their own signature shoes. Captain Breanna Stewart and newcomers Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were wearing red-and-white versions of their Pumas, Nikes and Reeboks, respectively.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

{“endpoint”:”https:\/\/api-prd-nyt.theathletic.com\/graphql”,”wpBaseUrl”:”https:\/\/theathletic.com”,”sessionVerificationEndpoint”:”https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/session-verification\/”,”graphicUploadsCDN”:”https:\/\/graphics-cdn.theathletic.com\/dir”}<\/p>\n

Clyde Frazier was the first NBA player with a signature shoe<\/a> when the Puma Clyde was released in 1973<\/a>. Sheryl Swoopes, the first woman with a signature shoe, released the Air Swoopes in October 1995, nearly a year and a half before the WNBA\u2019s inaugural season.<\/p>\n

For decades, even after Swoopes\u2019 sneaker debut, men\u2019s hoops shoes were most popular. Michael Jordan\u2019s Jordan Brand shoes are perhaps considered the gold standard of hoops shoes as casual fashion. Anthony Edwards and Ja Morant probably have two of the most socially popular men\u2019s basketball shoes out right now.<\/p>\n

\n

But in the last five years or so, women\u2019s basketball shoes have emerged right alongside the popularity of the WNBA.\u00a0<\/strong>
\nPlayers like A\u2019ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu, Reese and Stewart have some of the most popular hoops shoes currently. I see them at games, and not just on the court fans are clamoring for as much women\u2019s basketball player-related merchandise as possible and wearing whatever they can get their hands on. And, of course, Fever star Clark has a signature shoe on the way.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Sport crosses fashion on a daily basis, and sneaker culture is an extension of basketball culture. Players not only want to showcase their game, they want to do it in fly sneakers. It\u2019s been really cool to see the women having a moment.<\/p>\n

\n

Stretch run<\/h3>\n

As the W returns after a two-week FIBA World Cup break<\/a>, I got together with The Athletic<\/em>\u2019s women\u2019s hoops expert, Annie Costabile, to look ahead at the playoffs and awards season. This is Part 1 of our Q&A; the second part, which will look at the future of the league beyond this season, will run soon.<\/p>\n

The WNBA regular season concludes Sept. 24, and the playoffs begin Sept. 27.<\/p>\n

Annie, with just a few games left, the playoff field is set. What playoff team is most intriguing to you? What about them stands out?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Annie:<\/strong> The Minnesota Lynx are the most intriguing team to me, which is maybe not the most exciting answer given that they\u2019ve been the No. 1 team for most of the year. But the reason I\u2019m dialed into this storyline is because of the history that\u2019s on the table for the Lynx. They have a chance to become the first team in league history to win five WNBA titles. Doing so with Olivia Miles, who has captivated so many with her style of play but also her aura off the court, just feels special.<\/p>\n

That being said, I think the Lynx and Miles looked more human heading into the FIBA World Cup break. So, it\u2019s by no means going to be an easy road to the finals.<\/p>\n

Speaking of potential Rookie of the Year Miles, a lot of people didn\u2019t have her in their top three, and her talent seemed to catch quite a few fans by surprise. Could you have predicted that she would be the front-runner before the season began?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Annie<\/strong>: From the beginning, I was saying she should be the No. 1 pick. The way coaches and GMs were describing her IQ and court vision, plus her scoring ability and pro demeanor, I just thought that all-encompassing skill set is so rare. However, I did NOT think she would be in the MVP conversation. I did not think she would have the Lynx atop the league standings without reigning MVP contender Napheesa Collier. She has exceeded all expectations.<\/p>\n

We all know once the postseason begins, anything can happen. What player can be the sleeper\/X factor on the playoff teams?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Annie:<\/strong> Hmm, good question. I think there are a lot of different names I could use to answer this question, but the one that\u2019s immediately jumping out is Leonie Fiebich. The New York Liberty have had a lackluster season. They came into the year with title expectations and are instead tied for sixth in the league standings with just four games remaining in the regular season.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

But when they\u2019re at their best, Fiebich is at her best. We saw that in their game against the Indiana Fever on Aug. 22<\/a>. I still think the Liberty can make a deep playoff run. Fiebich will have a big hand in it if they do.<\/p>\n

Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell has helped lead the franchise to its best year in more than a decade. Mitchell leads the Fever in scoring, averaging 25 points along with 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals. She signed a one-year, $1.4 million supermax ahead of the 2026 season. Do you see Mitchell re-signing with the Fever or going somewhere else next year?
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Annie: <\/strong>Kelsey has always been super forthcoming about the importance of playing close to family. Hers is Cincinnati, which is less than two hours from Indianapolis. But at the end of the day, money talks, and the Fever are going to have a lot to figure out with the accelerators to Clark\u2019s contract under the WNBA\u2019s new EPIC provision. Aliyah Boston is set to receive the supermax in 2027, tightening the Fever\u2019s pockets even further.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t say any of that to say the Fever can\u2019t pay Mitchell; they\u2019re just going to have to do some cap gymnastics to make it all work.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

All of that to say, it\u2019s too early for me to speculate. My gut keeps flip-flopping between the Fever figuring it out and Mitchell leaving because they can\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Reigning league MVP A\u2019ja Wilson withdrew from the Team USA World Cup squad just days ahead of the competition for rest. With the news came much conversation about Wilson and her value and contributions to both the national team and her own team, the Las Vegas Aces. What are the chances Wilson repeats for a history-making fifth MVP?
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Annie:<\/strong> I think voter fatigue is a real thing, and this year there is a pool of candidates that have made the conversation all the more interesting<\/a>. But none of them are as impactful on both ends of the floor as A\u2019ja. In fact, the one player who makes the best argument for being the best all-around player is Stewart, and she\u2019s largely faded from the conversation because of what players like Miles, Clark and Mitchell are doing on offense.<\/p>\n

The last four games of the regular season stand to impact the final vote. As of now, my vote belongs to Wilson, but I\u2019m not ready to say it\u2019s final.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Bounce Newsletter\u00a0\u00a0| This is The Athletic\u2019s daily NBA newsletter.\u00a0Sign up here\u00a0to receive The Bounce directly in your inbox. The official meteorological end of summer is approaching. I felt a crispness in the air this weekend as I stepped outside and sighed, \u201cAhh, yes, basketball season is coming!\u201d We\u2019re almost there, y\u2019all! Advertisement Tradeback Tuesday […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,241],"class_list":["post-2145756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nytimes-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2145756","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2145756"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2145756\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2145756"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2145756"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2145756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}