The Los Angeles Lakers have made it clear that they are coming into this offseason with the intention of upgrading the roster.

Already, the front office has been linked to at least one blockbuster trade involving Kevin Durant.

In addition to Durant, the name most frequently associated with L.A. in recent weeks has been Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Just a few days ago Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported that Los Angeles was one of two teams to prepare a trade offer to Cleveland for Mitchell’s service.

According to ClutchPoints, the best possible trade offer that the Lakers can present to the Cavaliers for Mitchell centers around Austin Reaves.

“Lakers receive: Donovan Mitchell,” the report noted.

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“Cavs receive: Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jalen Hood-Schifino, two first-round picks.”

What L.A. gets out of this deal is clear. But why is worth it from the Cavaliers’ perspective?

“Reaves is on an incredible contract that makes it tough to ship him out of Los Angeles,” the report notes.

“Having Reaves in Cleveland will be a challenge for their organization, but he will be a spectacular fit with Darius Garland in their backcourt.”

A few other pieces are also necessary to make this potential deal work.

“For salary matching purposes, Rui Hachimura will also be part of the deal,” the report continues.

“Hachimura still has two guaranteed years left on his deal, and he will be a definite upgrade on the Dean Wade or Marcus Morris Sr. spot. If Jarrett Allen is heading out, Hachimura can be a wonderful option to start at the 4 for Cleveland. Jalen Hood-Schifino will be the last guy in the trade as he is still a raw talent but will have ample opportunities to showcase his skillset in Cleveland.”

It will be interesting to see if the Lakers’ deal is ultimately deemed good enough by the Cavaliers’ front office.

Lakers, Cavs May Complete A Non-Donovan Mitchell Trade

Because Mitchell figures to be a hot commodity this summer, there is a better-than-decent chance that the Lakers won’t be able to pry him away.

In that scenario, the Lakers and Cavaliers might be able to work out another swap – this one centering around Garland.

As things presently stand, two teams seem to be vying for Garland’s services at the moment.

Whether or not Cleveland ultimately parts ways with him will likely depend on what happens with Mitchell.

Will the Lakers and Cavaliers complete a trade of some sort at some point this summer? Time will tell.

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Anthony Amador

A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school Games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.