Less Talked About Raptors Trade Candidates Part 1: Davion Mitchell

 I was super sick yesterday which resulted in me attempting to write this then abandoning it when the brain fog became too much to contest with, so sorry if you didn't get your Lohensports fix yesterday. Tons of chatter going around about Bruce Brown and rightfully so, as soon as the Raptors got him the thought was that they'd flip him for more future assets. His contract does make this difficult, but with Jimmy Butler seemingly on the move, he figures to be a good piece to throw in if the Raptors want to be a third team facilitator in a blockbuster. I wanted to spend more time talking about a few candidates that could help winning teams today that might actually be easier to move. I think I will break this up into multiple posts talking about 1 player in each one and giving some potential trade partners. 

Davion Mitchell has 1 year left on his deal making under $6.5m. Although his offense leaves something to be desired, he is legitimately one of the best on ball guard defenders in the NBA. The Raptors have rookie Jamal Shead who has lately been taking Davion's minutes in the rotation which seems to indicate he's their guy at backup point guard going forward. With that in mind, teams should be calling about Davion since his asking price probably isn't super high and his contract shouldn't be much of a problem to match. I think there's a few teams that could be good Davion Mitchell suitors: 

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Wolves have struggled after trading KAT and with Mike Conley's swift decline, they should be in the market for a point guard. They have a bunch of small contracts at the end of their roster who are getting limited playing time as well as some second round picks to offer. While Davion can slide in and instantly make their defense elite with him, Ant, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert, he might further deteriorate their offense. The Wolves already play 2 non factors on offense in Gobert and McDaniels, adding a 3rd might not be what the team needs. Still, Mitchell is a cheap and gettable stop gap option for them at point guard should they be sniffing around. 

Miluwakee Bucks

I like this one a lot for the Bucks. Another team with a bunch of small contracts at the bottom of their roster they can aggregate, the Bucks desperately need perimeter defense. While not a lot of their guys are super exciting for the Raptors, the return for an offensively inept expiring contract shouldn't be expected to be huge anyway. If the Raptors can come away with a lottery ticket type prospect I think they should take it and run. Mitchell's fit on defense is clear and on a Bucks team with Giannis and Dame his offense can be hidden. He will need to be counted on to make open shots though, something he hasn't done reliably throughout his career. 

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets just need playable guys, Davion is one of those. After losing KCP in the offseason and seeing Jamal Murray's play become even more inconsistent, a strong guard defender who can eat up minutes might be a solid positive addition for them. I see Davion playing the Christian Braun role from last season, coming in and playing super hard off the bench. On offense, there's no easier job for a role player than playing with Nikola Jokic. In the playoffs, Davion offers the team another look if Russell Westbrook is experiencing his annual playoff woes. Maybe Davion isn't the best player the Nuggets can go get, but he would be a solid depth addition on a team that severely lacks depth. 

That's all for today! I was going to make this all one long post, but since I am beginning to run low on ideas here at post #80, I thought why not break it up into multiple! Stay tuned tomorrow for another addition. Go Raptors!