Celtics' road through Eastern Conference got a lot more difficult with Mitchell landing in Cleveland

BOSTON  -- The Celtics are still one of the teams to beat in the East. But the road through the Conference just got a lot more difficult for Boston and other contenders.

With the Cavaliers acquiring Jazz All-Star Donovan Mitchell on Thursday, Cleveland has now elevated itself from play-in contention to the second tier in the East. The upbeat Cavs of last season have now become one of those teams with some serious star power in a conference that was not short on star power. Mitchell's addition makes going through the East an absolute gauntlet for any team.

Adding Mitchell's scoring prowess to young stars Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, along with All-Star Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert, gives the Cavaliers an extremely talented starting five. After losing both play-in games last postseason, they look like a team that won't have to worry about the playoffs for the playoffs anymore.

Cleveland lacks the depth of the best teams in the East -- the Celtics, the Bucks, and the 76ers -- but should slot in anywhere from the four- to the six-seed. The Cavaliers will be battling with the likes of the Heat, the Nets, the Hawks, and the Bulls in that second rung in the conference. But if things click quickly, Cleveland could be capable of making a run for the top four in the East.

The Mitchell trade doesn't elevate Cleveland to Boston or Milwaukee status. Not yet, at least. But the Cavaliers are building toward something special, and they could reach that stratosphere within the next few years. 

The Celtics face Cleveland four times during the regular season, and will get an early look at these new-look Cavs. Mitchell and Jaylen Brown renew their friendly rivalry in Boston on Oct. 28, and the two teams will play again a week later on Nov. 2 in Cleveland. They won't meet again until early March, meetings that could have some serious ramifications in the postseason standings.

In his 10 career games against the Celtics, Mitchell has averaged 26.4 points -- tied his second-highest against any opponent. Only the Wizards have felt Mitchell's wrath more at 29.4 points per game.

Boston is still a title favorite and chances are that Cleveland won't be knocking them -- or the Bucks -- out of the top spots in the East. But their four regular season meetings with the Cavs, and their road through the East, just got a lot more difficult for the Celtics and the rest of the conference.