DONOVAN Mitchell is being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, according to an NBA source.
The franchise is believed to be desperate to add a third star after a disappointing postseason.
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And Brian Windhorst says LA and the Brooklyn Nets are in the running for Cleveland Cavaliers guard Mitchell.
“I’m trying to follow the lines because I don’t want anyone to freak out in my hometown of Cleveland, but there are a lot of teams that have their offers ready. They’re ready,” he said. Get up from ESPN.
Mitchell missed the Cavaliers’ loss to the Bolton Celtics that knocked them out of the Eastern Conference Playoffs yesterday.
Before suffering a calf strain in Game 4, Mitchell was scoring 29.6 points per contest.
Mitchell has one more season remaining on his $163 million contract with a $35.4 million cap hit, with a $37 million player option through the 2025-26 season, per Spotrac.
Los Angeles’ search for a complementary piece to LeBron James and Anthony Davis also led them to make another move in a blockbuster trade for Atlanta Hawks point guard Dejounte Murray.
Advanced negotiations were said to have been held with the Hawks prior to the February trade deadline last season.
The deal reportedly fell through because Los Angeles was unwilling to send Austin Reaves to Atlanta.
But negotiations should be resumed in the off-season, according to Heavy Sports.
“They pressured Dejounte once, and they will pressure him again,” an Eastern Conference general manager told the outlet.
“He can create, he is a good passer and he can defend very well.
“It looked like they were going to make the deal [in February] but the Hawks retreated.
“A lot of times, the things you work on in February are brought back in the draft, and that’s probably where this is going.”
Trae Young is another Hawks star considered a trade target by general manager Rob Pelinka.
But reports suggest he has learned a lesson from the Russell Westbrook situation and will focus on adjusting.
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“Whatever the Lakers do, they will put a lot of emphasis on fit,” the executive added.
“Say what you want about their list, but [general manager] Rob Pelinka really tried to put together pieces that worked together and not just bring in the names.
“If you want to bring in a star, that’s fine, but he has to be willing to be a third option and he has to defend.
“That’s Dejounte Murray, not Trae.”
LA has the 17th pick in June’s draft, which could be a useful piece in any trade.
The Lakers could also pull off a big surprise and call up LeBron’s son, Bronny.
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