Cavs or Jazz: Who’s winning the Donovan Mitchell trade so far?

So, which team is winning the trade so far?

It’s too soon to put a definitive victor on this transaction. Cleveland’s objectives were largely for the short-term, while Utah’s were for the long term – both appear to be on pace to circle those goals.

That being said, Mitchell has already provided the Cavaliers the boost they were seeking when they swung the trade. The team is looking like a legitimate Eastern Conference contender and its ceiling immediately shot up with the trade. As long as the young core keeps coming along, Cleveland should spend the next few years in contention for the first time since LeBron James wasn’t donning their jersey.

For Utah, there’s more uncertainty about how this all turns out. The front office has to be thrilled with how Markkanen has surprised during his first season in Salt Lake City and Sexton should be a big part of the future. But a lot of the grading for this trade will depend on picks that are years away from being made.

Cleveland may very well win a championship with Mitchell in town. Utah has no guarantee of making the playoffs anytime soon and may have played just well enough to miss out on the best draft prospect in years.

So far, the Donovan Mitchell trade has the look and feel of a rare win-win acquisition. But the team that’s actually winning right now is the Cleveland Cavaliers, who deserve to be declared the early winner of the deal.