Sports
Deshaun Watson and Donovan Mitchell: Cleveland’s 2 big gambles with very different results
They arrived within six months of each other, two stars summoned to Cleveland as franchise saviors and the final pieces necessary for a championship run.
The Cavaliers packed their arena with employees and team personnel in September 2022 to welcome Donovan Mitchell at his introductory news conference. It was a signal both internally and across the NBA that the Cavs were contenders again. But six months earlier, when Deshaun Watson took the podium in March for an introductory news conference, it felt more like an interrogation than a Browns coronation.
Two years later, the Cavaliers and Browns are in far different spaces.
Mitchell is the fuel that has propelled the Cavs to the best record in the NBA. Watson is the fuel for the biggest grease fire in the history of the sport.
Two franchises, two high-stakes gambles. Two drastically different results. The parallels and outcomes between these teams that play their home games just a mile apart provide a fascinating case study in the risk, reward and repercussions of what happens when teams get franchise-altering trades right and when they go horribly wrong.
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Both Mitchell and Watson were stars in the prime of their careers upon arriving. Now that Mitchell has committed to the Cavs for the foreseeable future with a contract extension and the Browns will be picking the shrapnel of Watson’s contract out of their skin for years to come, it’s worth looking back and asking: How did the Cavs get it right and the Browns get it so very wrong?
Both franchises emerged from tedious rebuilds believing they were one piece away. The Cavs reached the Play-In Tournament in 2022 but were eliminated without winning a game. It was a breakthrough of sorts after a four-year rebuild, but the franchise wasn’t ready to commit big money to restricted free agent Collin Sexton. It was fortunate Mitchell became available 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 won a playoff game with Baker Mayfield in 2020. With one year remaining on his deal, they were hesitant to pay him the type of $250 million to $300 million contract that other top quarterbacks were commanding at the time.
Mayfield was good, but he wasn’t great (despite any revisionist history). There were maturity concerns. He was extremely polarizing in the locker room. And when the game was in the balance, he rarely delivered.
Watson was a three-time Pro Bowler who led the league in passing in 2020. A quarterback of his caliber, in the prime of his career, hadn’t become available in a trade since Fran Tarkenton in the 1960s. But Watson came with more baggage than Delta: 24 civil lawsuits alleging various forms of sexual misconduct during massages.
The fact the Cavs and Browns are led by executives in Koby Altman and Andrew Berry who are close acquaintances only adds another compelling layer to all of this. Each executive agreed to trade three first-round picks in his deal. Altman added key players, including Sexton, and two pick swaps to give the Utah Jazz control of the Cavs’ five drafts from 2025 to 2029. The Watson trade included six draft picks, which the Houston Texans used to help win the AFC South last year and beat the Browns in a playoff game.
Franchise quarterbacks never, ever become available through trades in the prime of their careers. The price of obtaining one is worth whatever the cost.
Would a quarterback-starved team desperate to win trade its next five first-round picks for Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes? How about six?
There is no price too high.
Had Mayfield not been up against a contract extension, maybe all of it ends differently for the Browns. An injury to his non-throwing shoulder only compounded his terrible 2021 season, but Mayfield struggled at times when he was healthy, too.
Would the Browns be better off with Mayfield today over Watson? Of course, and that’s without including the three first-round picks they would have retained. But Mayfield needed to be humbled and needed to grow up. There’s no way of assuring that would’ve happened here. It occurred only because of his lousy play in Carolina and the fact he bounced around to four teams over two years.
He has settled in nicely in Tampa and made a home for himself — on a $100 million contract that is still less than half of what the Browns would’ve had to commit to him at the time.
See the difference?
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One of the great lessons to learn is how much character matters in trades of this magnitude. Mitchell arrived with no lawsuits hanging over him, no vile allegations of any kind.
In fact, one of the first things he did was reach out to young stars such as Darius Garland to say he wasn’t arriving with the intention of taking over the locker room. Garland was coming off his first All-Star appearance. This was still his team, Mitchell told him. He was here to fit in and help where he could.
It didn’t take long, of course, for Mitchell to emerge as the floor leader. But he didn’t move in on the first day and start rearranging the furniture and repainting the walls. It was an organic integration. He was a model teammate on the court and said publicly exactly what the Cavs needed from him as a leader of a young roster still trying to figure out how to win.
Still, even the Mitchell trade came with enormous risk. There were the constant rumors about New York. Mitchell even acknowledged at his first press availability that he thought he was going home. He heard Cleveland emerge as a potential destination for about three days during the trade negotiations, then those whispers cooled again until the phone call telling him to pack his bags.
The Cavs were acutely aware of Mitchell’s desire to play in New York and traded for him anyway, believing two years was enough time to sell him on their franchise and a future in Cleveland. Winning a playoff series last season certainly helped.
Any chance of Mitchell playing for the Knicks vanished when New York traded for OG Anunoby at the end of last December. When the Cavs flew to Paris in January for a game against the Brooklyn Nets, Mitchell made up his mind on the flight to France: He wanted to stay in Cleveland.
There was no Wi-Fi on the flight, no movies to watch. Nothing for guys to do but sit around the plane and talk. Mitchell sat with his teammates, drank wine and laughed for six hours. He realized he had everything he needed in Cleveland. He signed a three-year, $150 million extension when free agency opened that will keep him tied to Cleveland through the 2026-27 season with a player option for the 2027-28 season.
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Had Mitchell refused to sign the extension, the Cavs would have been forced to trade him last summer. They could have recouped some value, but not nearly as much as what they paid to get him. The picks they owe Utah would just be starting to transfer and Mitchell wouldn’t even be here. The whole thing could’ve ended badly. Instead, as the Jazz continue to sputter around the bottom of the standings, the Cavs are the clear winners of the trade today.
The Browns, meanwhile, insisted they did the background work on Watson before trading for him and were comfortable with what they found. Less than three months after the deal, The New York Times reported that Watson met with at least 66 women for massages over 17 months.
The Browns had already signed him to a $230 million, fully guaranteed contract by that point and were beholden to him. They could never get in front of the scandals even before his play on the field began deteriorating.
The New York Times report was followed by an HBO special. Watson settled most of the cases against him while continuing to insist he did nothing wrong. Arbitrator Sue L. Robinson, a retired federal judge, ruled the NFL carried its burden to prove Watson, by a preponderance of the evidence, engaged in sexual assault as defined by the NFL. She even made note of Watson’s lack of remorse. It was a slow drip of information that never seemed to stop.
Even this year, another woman emerged claiming Watson forced her to have sex with him. That case also was settled out of court.
Nevertheless, the Browns continued to bend to Watson’s will. He grumbled about scripted plays. He made clear he wasn’t comfortable playing under center and preferred shotgun. And when Joe Flacco thrived in the same Kevin Stefanski system that Watson at times struggled to grasp, the Browns fired offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and broke an offense that didn’t need fixing. They overhauled the offensive staff and rebuilt their scheme to fit a quarterback who could no longer play at an elite level.
The Browns will pay for their mistake for at least the next few years. While Watson has two years left on his contract, the Browns still must account for more than $170 million on their cap sheet. As of now, those numbers are stretched over the next three years. If they continue to restructure his deal and spread out the money, the Watson stain could linger even longer. Regardless of their exit strategy, it will include a fair amount of pain.
Watson will likely be on the 53-man roster next year, but he won’t be on the field. One way or another, the Browns will yet again have a new starting quarterback.
Cleveland was the first team Watson eliminated. Of the four finalists willing to overlook his scandals and bring him in anyway, Watson was least interested in the Browns. But team executives never stopped pursuing him.
They ultimately got their wish. It has turned into a nightmare.
(Image: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Photos, from left, via Getty Images: Nick Cammett / Diamond Images; Brian Babineau / NBAE)
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ATLANTA — The FBI and Atlanta Police Department are getting ready for a massive security operation ahead of the World Cup semifinals between England and Argentina at Atlanta Stadium.
Both agencies have used drones to search for potential threats on the ground and in the sky. The FBI is enforcing the Federal Aviation Administration’s Temporary Flight Restrictions around the venue.
The FBI has confiscated more than 600 drones nationwide since the World Cup began. Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Atlanta Field Office Marlo Graham said 86 of those drones were seized in Atlanta.
Graham said the FBI uses a “mechanism” that allows agents to see unauthorized drones in restricted airspace. Agents then work to mitigate the threat posed by unknown drones.
“We’ve been able to safely land drones that have been unauthorized in the flight restricted area,” Graham said.
The FBI has confiscated more than 600 drones at World Cup events since the tournament started. (FBI Atlanta)
While the FBI treats every drone as a potential threat, Graham said the threat level can increase depending on the size of the drone and how close it gets to the stadium.
“Obviously, the closer to the venue, the larger the crowd. We are fortunate here in Atlanta that we have a closed dome stadium,” Graham said. “We don’t want the game to be impacted because a hobbyist couldn’t control their drone, and it lands right when one of our star players was getting ready to score a goal.”
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The Atlanta Police Department’s Drone Unit has helped the FBI track down people suspected of flying in restricted zones.
Sgt. Kindu Franklin said most of the people caught flying drones around World Cup venues are hobbyists with no intent to harm the crowd of soccer fans below.
“In some cases, they just recently bought a drone just for FIFA to get some of the cool footage that they want to put up on their social media,” Franklin said. “There are different ways that you can weaponize these drones. So, we’re operating in a proactive manner.”
The Atlanta Police Department’s drone mission at the World Cup focuses on surveillance. (FOX)
The Atlanta Police Department’s drone mission is focused on surveillance. Officers are looking for potential threats, traffic issues and people the FBI suspects are flying drones illegally.
“So, what we want to do is give our command staff a view that they can’t get from the ground,” Sgt. James Cunningham with APD’s Drone Unit said.
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Cunningham’s unit can launch drones remotely from handheld controllers. Other drones are launched from docking stations strategically placed across the city, and officers control them from the back of an SUV using a computer and a PlayStation controller.
The Atlanta Police Department launches some drones from docks strategically placed across the city. They are controlled by a computer and a PlayStation controller. (Fox News)
The drone docks are used year-round to help the police get an aerial view of emergency situations before officers arrive. The computer shows the drone pilot where all the police body cameras and vehicles are in the area, allowing them to communicate better with officers on the ground.
For the World Cup, the drone docks let the department have more eyes in the sky and respond to emergencies faster.
“It’s going to cut down time. We’re going to get there quick. And then you’re going to get an aerial perspective of what you can’t see on the ground,” Cunningham said.
The Atlanta Police Department launches some drones from docks to get more eyes in the sky and respond to emergencies faster. (Fox News)
Cunningham said the drone unit has completed more than 1,400 flights and logged more than 550 flight hours since the beginning of June.
“Some people haven’t even done that in years or haven’t even reached those numbers in the life of their drone unit,” Cunningham said.
“We train for the environment. We live here, so we know what to expect,” Anais Paredes, an APD drone pilot, said.
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The FBI is asking that hobbyist drone pilots know the Temporary Flight Restrictions in their area before taking off.
There is a one-mile restriction around World Cup stadiums on non-match days, and a three-mile restriction on game day.
LAS VEGAS — From the time Austin Reaves joined the Lakers in 2021 as an undrafted prospect, his basketball life centered around playing with a savant in LeBron James.
That no longer will be the case.
Reaves re-signed with the Lakers on a four-year, $180-million deal, but James decided to move on as he prepares to play an unprecedented 24th season.
Reaves was stunned when he heard about James’ decision while playing golf in Lake Tahoe. Nearly two weeks later, Reaves says he still is trying to process the development.
“I kind of was thinking about it last night when I got here,” Reaves said Monday in his first news conference since re-signing. “Starting the season without him being on the team is going to be different for me. He’s kind of all I’ve ever known. Just him being around, joking around, acting like he’s 15. But that’s his decision and like I said in Tahoe, anytime I’ve talked about it, I got nothing but love and respect for him and yeah, let’s play some golf soon.”
The contract Reaves signed was the richest in NBA history for an undrafted player. At 28 and entering his sixth season, Reaves wanted to stay in L.A.
“I wanted to be a Laker the whole time. We had that period from when the season ended until the first [of July] to get something done and we figured it out before then,” he said. “My heart was in L.A. the whole time.”
Reaves will become one of the de facto leaders of the Lakers along with Luka Doncic. The two once again will be one of the most dynamic backcourts in the NBA.
“Obviously my relationship with the guys that were on the team last year,” Reaves said of why he wanted to stay. “And then Luka. I mean, he’s one of my best friends on this planet. Talk to him almost every single day. He sends me videos of his golf swing and asks me what he can do to get better and I tell him I’m not a coach.”
The Lakers have overhauled the roster: All the players who started alongside Reaves in the playoffs last spring are gone. With the signing of former Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams on Monday, the Lakers have eight new players, all of them arriving either via trades, free agency or the draft.
“They’re good,” Reaves said of the moves. “Obviously, I’ve been with the guys that are leaving for a couple years and with Bron for five years and I hate to see guys like that go. But the pieces that are coming in, I’m very excited about and I’m happy to get started today and see where it goes.”
Walker Kessler dunks during a game between the Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers on March 23.
(Rob Gray / Associated Press)
One of those new players is Walker Kessler, a 7-foot-2 center the Lakers felt fit best around Doncic and Reaves because he’s a lob threat, rim-protector and good defender and is developing his three-point shooting.
The Lakers got him from the Utah Jazz in a trade and then signed him to a four-year, $130-million contract. The Lakers sent out two unprotected first-round picks (2031, 2033) and two first-round pick swaps (2028, 2030).
Kessler, who played only five games last season after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, is aware the Lakers paid a big price to get him.
“It definitely makes you feel a certain way when you know an organization believes in you,” Kessler said Monday in his introduction. “And I think what they’ve invested, they’re showing that belief in a monetary value, not just with money, but like you said, assets. And for me, I’m somebody that if I know that they have that belief in me, I’m gonna run through a brick wall for them. That’s just how I’ve been wired my whole life and it definitely makes it a lot easier to go out there and compete for a team.”
Power forward Sandro Mamukelashvili could become a fan favorite, in part because of the tattoo he has on his lower left leg — a No. 24 in honor of Kobe Bryant.
Mamukelashvili, who signed a four-year, $52-million deal, averaged 11.2 points last season with the Toronto Raptors and shot 52.3% from the field, including 38.9% from three-point range.
“I got a Mamba Mentality tattoo. I just love his mindset,” Mamukelashvili said. “Growing up, I used to always say, “Mah-moo Mentality!’ So, I know it’s a little far from each other. But we are getting closer.”
When guard Collin Sexton, another new Laker, was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018, James left and signed with the Lakers. When Sexton signed a two-year, $19-million deal with the Lakers this month, James left again.
Sexton could only laugh about missing out on playing with James.
“He’s just leaving every time I arrive,” Sexton said, laughing. “That’s what it is. No, but one of the other coaches made the same joke yesterday. It’s cool, I know. I’ve always wanted to team up with him for sure, but it’s definitely cool knowing him and just having normal conversations and stuff, so that’s cool.”
Sexton averaged 15.4 points and shot 48.5% last season with Chicago and Charlotte. He’s ready for whatever role coach JJ Redick and the Lakers want for him.
“They believe in me,” he said. “And I just feel like at the end of the day, whenever a coach believes in you and like he said, he’s going to be hard on me and yelling and screaming at me. So, I like that. I think that’s what gets the best from me.”
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WWE will swing for the fences for the second straight year when it hosts one of its major premium live events of the year at a Major League Baseball ballpark.
The company announced on Monday that Survivor Series: WarGames will take place at Daikin Park in Houston – the home of the Astros – on Saturday, Nov. 28. It follows up the success of last year’s Survivor Series: WarGames event, which took place at Petco Park in San Diego – the home of the Padres.
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Roman Reigns lands a Superman Punch on Brock Lesnar during Survivor Series at Petco Park in San Diego, Calif., on Nov. 29, 2025. (Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images)
“Houston is the perfect host city to celebrate this milestone chapter in Survivor Series’ storied history, and we look forward to partnering with Houston First and the Houston Astros to deliver an unforgettable event,” WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque said in a news release.
WarGames is a highly anticipated match, which has taken place yearly among wrestlers on the WWE roster since 2022. The premium live event has also seen some dramatic returns.
Stephanie Vaquer enters the ring during Survivor Series at Petco Park in San Diego, Calif. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE via Getty Images)
In 2023, CM Punk came back to WWE at the end of the show and shocked the entire sports world. Randy Orton also made his in-ring return during the match. Last year, a mystery attacker interrupted the WarGames match and gave the win to The Vision and company.
It’s unclear what is in the cards right now for the 40th edition of the event.
“We are proud to be able to help bring one of the world’s premier entertainment brands to Houston for what promises to be an unforgettable holiday weekend,” said Michael Heckman, President and CEO of Houston First, which partnered with WWE to bring the event back to Houston.
Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio celebrate their win during Survivor Series at Petco Park in San Diego, Calif. (Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images)
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“Hosting WWE Survivor Series will bring thousands of passionate fans to our city and generate a significant economic impact for community. Houston has earned a reputation for delivering world-class entertainment events, and we look forward to welcoming the WWE Universe to our destination.”
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