In the aftermath of a humbling series loss to the New York Knicks, star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell is facing a long and grueling offseason of uncertainty. At 29 years old, he’s still young enough to make that title run, which has eluded him for so long.
Still, after another failed season, there are lingering questions about whether Mitchell’s loyalty remains with the Cleveland Cavaliers. According to ESPN insider Marc Spears, who spoke on NBA Today after the sweep, he plans to return to the franchise this fall despite an “embarrassing” team performance in the Eastern Conference Finals.
“Donovan told me this morning that he definitely wants it to be with him on it,” reported Mark Spears on NBA Today. “He’s like, ‘Stop the speculation, I want to come back. I’m gonna work on getting that next deal.’ One thing that stood out to me was that he woke up this morning saying, ‘What am I doing? What am I doing now?’ He felt lost, he felt clueless, he was embarrassed, he told me, for being swept. And then he said, ‘I’m getting ready for 19 weeks from now. He had a Mets hat on, connected to his father, and he’s flying back today, to the New York City area.”
Donvan Mitchell is one of the NBA’s best scorers, coming off an impressive season with averages of 27.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game on 48.3% shooting and 36.4% shooting from three. Since his arrival in Cleveland, he’s been tapped as their leader both on and off the court, and he vows to stay right where he is.
We’ve heard similar assurances from NBA stars, only for them to switch teams not long after. For many, that’s the inevitable outcome for Mitchell and the Cavaliers, who have been together since 2022. Under his leadership, the Cavaliers have been a regular playoff team, even finishing first in the standings last season, at 64-18. It wasn’t until this year, however, that they finally made a breakthrough, only to be run off the floor when the lights were brightest.
The team hit rock bottom in their final two games of the series. It started on Saturday with a 121-108 loss, dropping to 0-3. Mitchell dropped 23 points on just 42.9% shooting, marking yet another game where he struggled with efficiency. Game 4 was even worse, with the Cavaliers losing by 37 points (130-93), despite Donovan Mitchell dropping 31 on 50.0% shooting.
Going into this offseason, the Cavaliers are on the verge of sweeping changes. Besides Harden and Mitchell, who will likely return in their roles, the entire rotation is up for grabs, with rumors swirling around Jarrett Allen, in particular. If the Cavaliers can flip him for a proven leader/floor general like LeBron James, it could go a long way toward finally turning their situation around.
Of course, for Mitchell, the road to redemption starts now. As an eight-year veteran, he knows the work involved with success, and he’s not taking this defeat lightly. So, over the next few months, we can expect to see Mitchell in the lab, improving his own game, while his team tries to make key upgrades to the supporting cast.
