There\u2019s pressure to win now. That\u2019s what happens when you have a group that has been so successful in the regular season but has failed to reach its goals in the playoffs.<\/p>\n
Donovan Mitchell feels that pressure as well. He\u2019s never gotten out of the second round of the playoffs, which is noteworthy considering how good a player he\u2019s been.<\/p>\n
Any move that drastically alters the foundation of the team should be signed off on by Mitchell. He\u2019s the one who\u2019s going to be tasked with making it work on the court. By all accounts, the Harden for Garland trade had Mitchell\u2019s approval.<\/p>\n
Koby Altman, Cavs president of basketball operations, wanted to make clear that even though this is a trade that has Mitchell\u2019s blessing, it wasn\u2019t motivated by any pressure Mitchell put on the organization.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe great news is Donovan\u2019s all in on Cleveland,\u201d Altman said<\/a> on Thursday afternoon.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s bought in pre-trade, coming into the season, all of it. He\u2019s laying down roots here. He loves the city. He loves what we\u2019re doing as an organization. I think, of course, you want feedback from your best player, but that\u2019s not Donovan\u2019s job. Donovan\u2019s job is not to run into my office and tell me to go get this player or make this move. Do we want his input? Absolutely. Just like I want my head coach\u2019s input, just like I want my staff\u2019s input.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the things this trade crystallized was the fact that the Cavs are completely on Mitchell\u2019s timeline, and rightfully so. As enticing as it is to try to play the long game on two separate timelines, that doesn\u2019t work unless you\u2019re the Gregg Popovich San Antonio Spurs<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mitchell is a top-10 player right now. There\u2019s no guarantee either Mobley or Garland will ever be at that level. Not maximizing the window you have with the second most talented player in team history would be inexcusable.<\/p>\n That said, this trade wasn\u2019t Mitchell\u2019s decision to make. The Cavs executed this deal because they believe it helps them win a championship. In this instance, Mitchell and the team\u2019s best interests lined up.<\/p>\n