The Cavaliers have reason to be optimistic with one of the NBA’s most promising young cores.

Cleveland Cavaliers

2021-22 record: 44-38

Key additions: Donovan Mitchell (trade), Robin Lopez (free agency); Ochai Agbaji (2022 draft)

Key subtractions: Collin Sexton (trade), Lauri Markkanen (trade), Ochai Agbaji (trade)

Last season: The slow emergence from the shadow of LeBron James took an accelerated turn when the Cavs won 44 games and, for a brief stretch, sat among the top half-dozen teams in the East. That in itself was a victory for a club that spent the post-LeBron years rebuilding and asking fans to have patience. There were two very encouraging signs: Evan Mobley was a front-runner for Kia Rookie of the Year for much of the season, and Darius Garland became an All-Star in what was a groundbreaking third season. Injuries contributed to the Cavs missing the playoffs, but the franchise went into the offseason feeling much better about itself.

Summer summary: At some point in any team’s rebuild through the NBA Draft, they reach a point where there’s a chance to sacrifice draft capital in a trade for a disgruntled or devalued All-Star. It happens almost every year: Anthony Davis, James Harden, Paul George, etc., etc., to name a few. The Cavaliers seized the chance to add such a piece and give the franchise a whole new glow.

Mitchell was the grand prize, and for the Cavs and president Koby Altman, this was an opportunity they couldn’t decline. Keep in mind that free agents aren’t flocking to Cleveland. So the most logical path to success is through the draft — where the Cavs have done very well — and trades. Given where they are in their development, it made perfect sense to get Mitchell, form a dynamic young backcourt with Garland, and keep Mobley in the process.

All it cost Cleveland was a player who was hurt most of the year and lost his role to Garland, a big man (Cleveland already has a surplus of those), and their first round pick this season (who probably wouldn’t have seen much time as a rookie) and a slew of future draft capital. Was that a fair price for a three-time All-Star who’s just 25? Seems so.

Therefore: Out went Sexton, Markkanen and Agbaji, along with three future first-rounders and two first-round swaps. If Mitchell is impactful throughout the rest of his contract (three years plus a player option), most of those picks are unlikely to fall in the lottery.

The Cavs now have a pair of creative guards, both capable of playing on or off the ball. They thought enough of Garland to make him the highest-paid player in Cavs history (sorry, LeBron); he received a $193 million rookie max extension, and it was the culmination of a dreamy 2022 for the 21-year-old guard. Imagine: At the start of January, Garland was an emerging talent, but nothing super special. By the end of July, he was the best player on the club, had an All-Star Game appearance and held generational wealth.

Here’s another clue as to how far Garland has traveled: He played only five games at Vanderbilt because of a meniscus tear, and after his first two seasons with the Cavs he was mainly a sidekick to Sexton. When Sexton was done for the 2021-22 season with a knee injury just weeks after opening night, Garland assumed a bigger role and more minutes and the rest was history. He averaged 21.7 points and 8.6 assists and connected instantly with Mobley, and the two emerged as the faces of a reborn franchise, which posted a winning record for the first time since LeBron left in 2018.

This of course came at the expense of Sexton, a combo guard who led the Cavs in scoring the previous season at 24.3 points. Because of the emergence of Garland, coupled with the injury, Sexton’s future was on the clock, especially when the Cavs brought back Rubio, a solid veteran coming off knee surgery. He’s an ideal backup in a three-guard rotation, someone who can play either backcourt spot, and unlike Sexton is more of a playmaker.

Mitchell brings a blend of youth and experience; that’s why he seems a perfect fit at this stage of Cleveland’s development. It all sounds great here in September; eventually, the chemistry must be proven on the court with Garland, and Cleveland must win enough games and make the playoffs annually to justify the sacrifice of future picks.

The Mitchell trade was a boss move by Altman. And maybe, following the departure of LeBron, there is life in Cleveland after all.

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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.

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