The Celtics had to be kicking themselves on Sunday night watching the Cavaliers and Pistons play a largely non-competitive Game 7 with a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals on the line. Neither team looked particularly inspiring, but the Cavs got the blowout win and will move on to their first ECF since LeBron James was in town.
It’s also the first conference finals appearance for Donovan Mitchell and most of his supporting cast, and a somewhat improbable return for James Harden after one failed playoffs after another since leaving Houston.
Cleveland was pretty damn close to all-in this season, a last-ditch effort to salvage this core, and despite a pretty rocky regular season, they’ve done just that in these playoffs, and now the only thing standing in the way of a Finals appearance is the New York Knicks.
Regardless of how that series plays out, barring something drastic, it feels like a lot has already been established through two rounds, and the landscape of the East, and specifically of the trade market, has changed drastically in multiple ways that will impact the Celtics.
Donovan Mitchell not likely to go anywhere
There was plenty of buzz about Mitchell’s future in Cleveland. He only has one more guaranteed year on his deal, and he’s at a point in his career where nothing but winning should matter. With another disappointing early playoff exit, there was reason to believe he may be apprehensive about signing an extension and could look to get out of town.
With this trip to the conference finals, that seems unlikely now. Mitchell is the clear leader of the team, and he got support from the big men, the bench, and his co-stars. The owners have spent the money to build a winner, and right now, it sure looks like this is his best chance to win. At least for now, it doesn’t look like Donovan will be a trade target for the Celtics, or anyone else.
Cavs likely out of Giannis sweepstakes, but Pistons now in play
The other ripple effects from this loss involve the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. We know that the Greek Freak wants to stay in the Eastern Conference and play for a contender. That’s a pretty short list of teams, but both of these two are on it.
With the win, you’d have to think the Cavs may back off their pursuit. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen played great, and Cleveland looks a lot closer to a title than they did a few weeks ago. There’s no reason for them to blow this up for a short window around Mitchell and Giannis, and after this performance, it would be shocking to see them dangle the 24-year-old Mobley on the trade market.
Conversely, this eye-opening playoff experience may nudge the Pistons into action and accelerate their timeline a bit. They looked overmatched in the postseason and badly lacking a second offensive option. They need a high-usage co-star for Cade Cunningham, and Giannis would certainly fit the bill.
We’ll see just how aggressive they want to get with a very young team that just won 60 games and a massive Jalen Duren decision coming up. But with this ugly second-round exit, it’s clear that Detroit isn’t that close to contention, and a splash move for Giannis could change that in a hurry.
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