After Mitchell trades to the Cleveland Cavaliers in this year's NBA offseason, which star players will be next on the list of traded players? And what are the players who, though not the stars, will be next on the list of traded players and then help the new team go further?
To preview which players are likely to be traded this season, we sort from low to highest popularity:
Doug McDermott, small forward, San Antonio Spurs
Doug McDermott
McDermott's outside shooting percentage last season (42.2 percent), one of the best three-point shooters of the season, and while most of that came from catching shots, the 30-year-old's better performance was on a stop-and-go three-pointer.
As a defender, rebounder or organizational core, McDermott doesn't bring much else, but he's an elite shooter who can thrive next to shot creators like LeBron James, Luka Doncic or Chris Paul.
Terence Rose, Frontback Swingman (G/F), Orlando Magic
Terence Ross
Orlando should wait until an attempt to restore Rose's value before moving him off, as he is currently one of the best bench scorers in the league, but has had trouble shooting last season (39.7 percent overall from the field and 29.2 percent from three-point range, 10.0 points).
However, an expiring $11.5 million contract should not be difficult to transfer, especially for a winger who averaged 15.1 points per game from 36.2 percent three-point range in 2018-2021.
Eric Gordon, Forward Swingman (G/F), Houston Rockets
Eric Gordon
Gordon, 33, has maintained a high level of quality on both offensive and defensive ends of the season and should be of great interest to teams seeking help from the flanks.
He's shot 42.8 percent this season, has a high level of defense, and has shown some organisational skills. With the Rockets not expected to make the playoffs this season, Gordon could serve as a starter or sixth for a team with a desire to win the championship.
John Collins, Big Forward (PF), Atalanta Hawks
John Collins
This summer, Collins appeared amid trade rumours, with the Hawks building a package around him in an attempt to get Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets.
Despite his success with the team so far, Collins' usage has declined over the past four seasons, and only the addition of Dejuntai Murray will continue to decline.
There should be plenty of teams interested in the 24-year-old athletic big man who can shoot at a high level, especially on teams with guaranteed contracts for the next three years.
Gilgers Alexander, point guard, Oklahoma Thunder
Giljes-Alexander
All eyes will be on Gilgers Alexander this season, and the energetic young point guard will once again be the leader of a team that has won fewer than 30 games for the third consecutive year. Mark Berman of the New York Post mentioned Gilgers-Alexander as a possible deal target. After 24.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.3 steals last season, he was just five years old and got a $179.3 million contract. There should be plenty of teams interested in dynamic young point guards.
Bradley Beal, shooting guard, Washington Wizards
Bradley Bill
What, do you think Bill's days of getting involved in trade talks are over just because he signed a shiny new deal?
Even with Beal, the Wizards have been a participating team at best this season. The Montmorris deal doesn't solve the point guard's dilemma, with Kristaps Porzingis not having played more than 57 games since the 2016-17 season. Washington is destined to be an Eastern European team with a load of less than 0.500. How long will Bill, who is only 29 years old, accept?
Beal got his contract ($251 million for 5 years) and a no-deal clause, so he'll have a say in the new potential team. No one would blame Bill for making the request, and rebuilding might also be in Washington's best interest.
Kevin Durant, forward, Brooklyn Nets
After waiting two months for an outstanding request for a deal, does anyone believe that Durant won't make another request at some point?
Just because the Nets aren't getting the 33-year-old superstar they want in return doesn't mean they won't be coveted by some other team during the regular season. Once considered injured and the team could easily convince the team to make a big shift for Durant, the Nets probably won't.
Teams such as the Toronto Raptors, New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks should be very interested in bringing in Durant.
Kyrie Irving, point guard, Brooklyn Nets
The Nets won't trade Irving before the season starts, but should also be afraid to negotiate a contract with him next summer.
An intra-season deal could be the best for all parties, as Irving can seriously restore his image at the start of the season. He's still one of the NBA's most talented players, and if Irving gets off to a good start, Brooklyn should be able to get quite a few draft picks.
Nothing with the Nets this season should be considered stable, with Durant, Irving and Ben Simmons all hanging in the balance over the team's availability and happiness. Brooklyn could turn into a dead whale floating in the ocean, and all the sharks will come and take a bite.
If it were the former, however, Irving might be interested in teams like the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers or Dallas Mavericks.