Lakers are the top draft choice for Donovan Mitchell

LeBron James will be under even more scrutiny next season than usual, assuming he remains with the Los Angeles Lakers: He’ll be 40 years old and his time in the NBA is limited after his already historic streak.

According to The Athletic Sam AmickJames and Anthony Davis want the Lakers to “make a big push for another elite player” this offseason, and Amick also noted that Mitchell “has long been considered a No. 1 target” for Los Angeles if he becomes available.

Donovan Mitchell’s future could go a few directions this summer, including a move to the Lakers.

GettyDonovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Mitchell’s current contract is worth $163 million with two remaining years on a $37.1 million player option for next summer, meaning the combo guard and five-time All-Star is eligible to sign a four-year extension with the Cavs worth $209 million in the coming days.

But whether he will do so remains an open question.

The Utah Jazz traded Mitchell to the Cavaliers in September 2022. Cleveland acquired him with the understanding that as a hometown player, he would ultimately want to play for one of New York’s two franchises.

The Cavaliers have aggressively strengthened their roster, and as a result, they have qualified for the playoffs in each of Mitchell’s two seasons under the helm: losing to the Knicks in the first round two years ago, beating the Orlando Magic in seven games this year, and then the Boston Celtics beat them in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Cleveland recently hired new head coach Kenny Atkinson, a move most league sources believe will encourage Mitchell to stay, but the overlap in skill levels between Mitchell and fellow guard Darius Garland could put the Cavs in a position this summer where they have to decide who to trade and who to keep.

Complicating the situation is the possibility that Mitchell could sign a contract extension, the maximum any team could offer him, but then ask for a trade shortly thereafter. If he doesn’t agree to an extension this summer, Mitchell could opt out of his contract next summer and walk away with nothing, tying the Cavs’ hands.

Darius Garland could also be a trade target for the Lakers

GettyDarius Garland of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Garland is a one-time All-Star and averaged nearly 22 points per game in 2021-22 before Mitchell arrived in Cleveland. His production has declined since then, exacerbated by missing several games last season with a broken jaw. As a result, Garland has played in just 57 regular-season games this season.

Garland is also a potential trade target for the Lakers if the Cavs trade him, and while he could have a resurgence next season playing next to someone other than Mitchell, there’s no question that Mitchell is the better player.

Mitchell averaged 28.3 points per game in his first year with Cleveland and 26.6 points per game last season. He also averaged 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals while shooting nearly 37% on his nine three-point attempts per game, according to Basketball-Reference.