Deshaun Watson and Donovan Mitchell: Cleveland’s 2 large gambles with very totally different outcomes

They arrived inside six months of one another, two stars summoned to Cleveland as franchise saviors and the ultimate items mandatory for a championship run. 

The Cavaliers packed their area with workers and crew personnel in September 2022 to welcome Donovan Mitchell at his introductory information convention. It was a sign each internally and throughout the NBA that the Cavs have been contenders once more. However six months earlier, when Deshaun Watson took the rostrum in March for an introductory information convention, it felt extra like an interrogation than a Browns coronation.

Two years later, the Cavaliers and Browns are in far totally different areas. 

Mitchell is the gas that has propelled the Cavs to one of the best report within the NBA. Watson is the gas for the largest grease fireplace within the historical past of the game.

Two franchises, two high-stakes gambles. Two drastically totally different outcomes. The parallels and outcomes between these groups that play their residence video games only a mile aside present an enchanting case research within the danger, reward and repercussions of what occurs when groups get franchise-altering trades proper and once they go horribly fallacious. 

Each Mitchell and Watson have been stars within the prime of their careers upon arriving. Now that Mitchell has dedicated to the Cavs for the foreseeable future with a contract extension and the Browns will likely be choosing the shrapnel of Watson’s contract out of their pores and skin for years to come back, it’s value wanting again and asking: How did the Cavs get it proper and the Browns get it so very fallacious?

Each franchises emerged from tedious rebuilds believing they have been one piece away. The Cavs reached the Play-In Match in 2022 however have been eradicated with out successful a sport. It was a breakthrough of types after a four-year rebuild, however the franchise wasn’t able to commit large cash to restricted free agent Collin Sexton. It was lucky Mitchell grew to become obtainable when he did. 

#Cavs G Donovan Mitchell linked up with #Browns QB Deshaun Watson pregame. pic.twitter.com/srEWnJA4gO

— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) September 8, 2024

The Browns received a playoff sport with Baker Mayfield in 2020. With one 12 months remaining on his deal, they have been hesitant to pay him the kind of $250 million to $300 million contract that different high quarterbacks have been commanding on the time.

Mayfield was good, however he wasn’t nice (regardless of any revisionist historical past). There have been maturity issues. He was extraordinarily polarizing within the locker room. And when the sport was within the stability, he not often delivered.

Watson was a three-time Professional Bowler who led the league in passing in 2020. A quarterback of his caliber, within the prime of his profession, hadn’t develop into obtainable in a commerce since Fran Tarkenton within the Sixties. However Watson got here with extra baggage than Delta: 24 civil lawsuits alleging varied types of sexual misconduct throughout massages. 

The actual fact the Cavs and Browns are led by executives in Koby Altman and Andrew Berry who’re shut acquaintances solely provides one other compelling layer to all of this. Every government agreed to commerce three first-round picks in his deal. Altman added key gamers, together with Sexton, and two choose swaps to offer the Utah Jazz management of the Cavs’  5 drafts from 2025 to 2029. The Watson commerce included six draft picks, which the Houston Texans used to assist win the AFC South final 12 months and beat the Browns in a playoff sport. 

Franchise quarterbacks by no means, ever develop into obtainable by way of trades within the prime of their careers. The value of acquiring one is value no matter the associated fee. 

Would a quarterback-starved crew determined to win commerce its subsequent 5 first-round picks for Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes? How about six? 

There isn’t any value too excessive. 

Had Mayfield not been up in opposition to a contract extension, possibly all of it ends in a different way for the Browns. An damage to his non-throwing shoulder solely compounded his horrible 2021 season, however Mayfield struggled at instances when he was wholesome, too. 

Would the Browns be higher off with Mayfield at this time over Watson? In fact, and that’s with out together with the three first-round picks they might have retained. However Mayfield wanted to be humbled and wanted to develop up. There’s no manner of assuring that will’ve occurred right here. It occurred solely due to his awful play in Carolina and the very fact he bounced round to 4 groups over two years. 

He has settled in properly in Tampa and made a house for himself — on a $100 million contract that’s nonetheless lower than half of what the Browns would’ve needed to decide to him on the time. 

See the distinction? 

One of many nice classes to study is how a lot character issues in trades of this magnitude. Mitchell arrived with no lawsuits hanging over him, no vile allegations of any type. 

In truth, one of many first issues he did was attain out to younger stars comparable to Darius Garland to say he wasn’t arriving with the intention of taking up the locker room. Garland was coming off his first All-Star look. This was nonetheless his crew, Mitchell instructed him. He was right here to slot in and assist the place he may. 

It didn’t take lengthy, in fact, for Mitchell to emerge as the ground chief. However he didn’t transfer in on the primary day and begin rearranging the furnishings and repainting the partitions. It was an natural integration. He was a mannequin teammate on the courtroom and stated publicly precisely what the Cavs wanted from him as a pacesetter of a younger roster nonetheless making an attempt to determine how you can win. 

Nonetheless, even the Mitchell commerce got here with monumental danger. There have been the fixed rumors about New York. Mitchell even acknowledged at his first press availability that he thought he was going residence. He heard Cleveland emerge as a possible vacation spot for about three days throughout the commerce negotiations, then these whispers cooled once more till the cellphone name telling him to pack his baggage.

The Cavs have been aware of Mitchell’s want to play in New York and traded for him anyway, believing two years was sufficient time to promote him on their franchise and a future in Cleveland. Profitable a playoff collection final season actually helped. 

Any likelihood of Mitchell taking part in for the Knicks vanished when New York traded for OG Anunoby on the finish of final December. When the Cavs flew to Paris in January for a sport in opposition to the Brooklyn Nets, Mitchell made up his thoughts on the flight to France: He needed to remain in Cleveland. 

There was no Wi-Fi on the flight, no motion pictures to look at. Nothing for guys to do however sit across the airplane and discuss. Mitchell sat together with his teammates, drank wine and laughed for six hours. He realized he had every little thing he wanted in Cleveland. He signed a three-year, $150 million extension when free company opened that may maintain him tied to Cleveland by way of the 2026-27 season with a participant possibility for the 2027-28 season.

Had Mitchell refused to signal the extension, the Cavs would have been compelled to commerce him final summer time. They may have recouped some worth, however not practically as a lot as what they paid to get him. The picks they owe Utah would simply be beginning to switch and Mitchell wouldn’t even be right here. The entire thing may’ve ended badly. As an alternative, because the Jazz proceed to sputter across the backside of the standings, the Cavs are the clear winners of the commerce at this time. 

The Browns, in the meantime, insisted they did the background work on Watson earlier than buying and selling for him and have been snug with what they discovered. Lower than three months after the deal, The New York Instances reported that Watson met with not less than 66 ladies for massages over 17 months. 

The Browns had already signed him to a $230 million, totally assured contract by that time and have been beholden to him. They may by no means get in entrance of the scandals even earlier than his play on the sphere started deteriorating.

The New York Instances report was adopted by an HBO particular. Watson settled many of the instances in opposition to him whereas persevering with to insist he did nothing fallacious. Arbitrator Sue L. Robinson, a retired federal choose, dominated the NFL carried its burden to show Watson, by a preponderance of the proof, engaged in sexual assault as outlined by the NFL. She even made observe of Watson’s lack of regret. It was a sluggish drip of data that by no means appeared to cease.

Even this 12 months, one other lady emerged claiming Watson compelled her to have intercourse with him. That case additionally was settled out of courtroom.

However, the Browns continued to bend to Watson’s will. He grumbled about scripted performs. He made clear he wasn’t snug taking part in below middle and most well-liked shotgun. And when Joe Flacco thrived in the identical Kevin Stefanski system that Watson at instances struggled to understand, the Browns fired offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and broke an offense that didn’t want fixing. They overhauled the offensive employees and rebuilt their scheme to suit a quarterback who may now not play at an elite degree. 

The Browns pays for his or her mistake for not less than the following few years. Whereas Watson has two years left on his contract, the Browns nonetheless should account for greater than $170 million on their cap sheet. As of now, these numbers are stretched over the following three years. In the event that they proceed to restructure his deal and unfold out the cash, the Watson stain may linger even longer. No matter their exit technique, it’s going to embody a good quantity of ache. 

Watson will probably be on the 53-man roster subsequent 12 months, however he received’t be on the sphere. A method or one other, the Browns will but once more have a brand new beginning quarterback.

Cleveland was the primary crew Watson eradicated. Of the 4 finalists prepared to miss his scandals and convey him in anyway, Watson was least within the Browns. However crew executives by no means stopped pursuing him.

They in the end obtained their want. It has become a nightmare.

(Picture: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Pictures, from left, by way of Getty Photos: Nick Cammett / Diamond Photos; Brian Babineau / NBAE)