Well, that was something none of us expected. The Cleveland Cavaliers shocked the basketball world by trading for Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell. Up until yesterday, the prevailing idea was that Mitchell would end up with his hometown New York Knicks. Instead, Spida heads to a young team led by Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen.
The surprising nature of the Cavs-Donovan Mitchell trade naturally led to many hilarious reactions on Twitter (mostly at the expense of the Knicks). As is tradition on NBA Twitter, the fans made fun of New York fans missing out on another target they really wanted to acquire.
Knicks fans watching Donovan Mitchell get traded to Cleveland #NBATwitter pic.twitter.com/0aCdWUNaN8
— taztv410 (@taztv410) September 1, 2022
The Knicks after the Cavs got Donovan Mitchell pic.twitter.com/rWEqMKroGG
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) September 1, 2022
Knicks fans seeing the Donovan Mitchell news: pic.twitter.com/jHrBHSFD7r
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) September 1, 2022
https://t.co/rzLQAzSVf6 pic.twitter.com/kfLCWgXiSN
— JM =^) (@JM539581) September 1, 2022
Other memes revolved around the Cavs, who were surely brimming with delight when they closed the deal with the Jazz for Mitchell. Fans are even predicting who Mitchell and Garland's next rivals in the East will be!
How the Cavs left that meeting with the Jazz after the Donovan Mitchell trade pic.twitter.com/XF5iFsHJxZ
— Jasmine (@JasmineLWatkins) September 1, 2022
cade cunningham and jaden ivey vs darius garland and donovan mitchell for the next 10 years:
https://t.co/1zulhyyYuj— zariq! (@zariqxavier) September 1, 2022
Cavs fans after hearing Donovan Mitchell news pic.twitter.com/J2IeSACyEk
— Shannonnn sharpes Burner (PARODY Account) (@shannonsharpeee) September 1, 2022
By far the best meme from the Donovan Mitchell trade chatter came from the man himself. The newest Cavs member invoked the power of Brian Windhorst's legendary meme in his reaction to the trade.
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) September 1, 2022
With this trade, the Cavs instantly catapult themselves to playoff contention (and even title contention if the stars align right for them). Mitchell is the perfect star to acquire for their roster, as he's young enough to grow with their core players. Garland, Allen, and Evan Mobley are all young stars who can complement Mitchell's game in various ways. If they figure it out in the future… Cleveland will rise to the top again.
As for the Jazz, well, the Donovan Mitchell trade all but signals a fire sale for the team. It's been clear since the moment they traded Rudy Gobert that their goal is to rebuild. Now, they'll be shipping off their older talent for a slew of prospects and first-round selections.