A strong start to the new year has the Cleveland Cavaliers sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Amid plenty of rumors about the team trading away Donovan Mitchell, there is one line of thinking that not only should the Cavs not deal Mitchell, but they should be looking to the Brooklyn Nets to be adding to their roster.
The Nets are listening to trade offers for two of the more coveted players on their roster, forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale. If Cleveland is serious about keeping Mitchell, adding one of his best friends in O'Neale via trade would seem to be a wise strategy, according to Marc Stein writing on his own Substack.
Trading for O'Neale would satisfy two needs for the Cavs: not only would it (as least temporarily) appease Mitchell, but it would also strengthen the team on the court.
O'Neale a dual-threat for Mitchell, Cavs
O'Neale would give the Cavs a strong wing player capable of playing defense and hitting three-pointers off the bench.
Over the last few seasons, O'Neale has proven he can handle an expanded role in a team's rotation. Despite his attempts per 36 minutes from behind the arc rising in each season since 2018-19, the percentage of said shots he's hitting has not suffered. The wing has hit 38.4% of his three-point attempts since 2018, when his role on the Utah Jazz expanded.
In addition to make the team better, O'Neale is known to be close with Mitchell. The Cavs have made it know they intend to hold onto Mitchell and want to get the star re-signed. Perhaps having a buddy on the team will make him more inclined to ink an extension?
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