Donovan Mitchell just finished the kind of season most scorers would love to call their best. He averaged 27.9 points per game, which was the second-highest scoring average of his career and only a hair behind the 28.3 he put up in his first season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He also piled up a career-high 1,952 total points last year.
Still, the bigger number next season might be the one that goes down.
Mitchell is entering his tenth year in the league and should be in the middle of his physical prime, but that does not automatically point to another jump in production. In fact, Cleveland would probably prefer the opposite. The idea of Mitchell chasing the Scoring Title sounds nice on paper, but it may not be what the Cavaliers need most.
The reason is pretty simple: he has been asked to carry too much. Mitchell has repeatedly had to do the heavy lifting, and by the time the game reaches its biggest moments, especially in the playoffs, he has looked worn down.
That is not a formula the Cavs can keep leaning on. Kenny Atkinson finally has more help to work with, and that changes the math.
Peyton Watson gives Cleveland another proven scorer who can get north of 20 points a game and, unlike Darius Garland, should be available more often than not. The Cavs should get Watson involved early and often, even if that means Mitchell gives up some of his own shot volume.
James Harden also fits into that shift. He is not the kind of player who is going to explode for 50-plus points on any random night, but he can still attack the rim with more force and take some pressure off Mitchell in the process.
Evan Mobley is another name to watch, though anyone expecting a major offensive leap may be disappointed. Even so, Watson’s presence could change the way defenses guard Cleveland and create cleaner looks for Mobley than he has always gotten.
Then there are the younger pieces. Jaylon Tyson and Tyrese Proctor should both see bigger roles next season. Tyson could even enter the Most Improved Player conversation after Dean Wade and Max Strus left the building, while Proctor looks like the leading option for the backup point guard job after Dennis Schroder’s departure.
That is the larger point here: the Cavaliers do not need Mitchell to do everything. He is good enough to score 30-plus a night, and he could even become a foul-drawing machine and live at the line, but Cleveland does not need that version of him every night.
What they need is a more balanced offense. The Cavaliers have enough pieces now to stop treating every possession like Mitchell has to save it.
Lowering his usage is not a loss for this team. It is the whole point.
In Other News...
Cavs Just Opened A Door For A Familiar Camp Longshot
Rashaun Agee has gone from Cavaliers Summer League participant to a training camp contract, giving Cleveland another big body to evaluate as camp approaches. Agee brought the kind of traits that can keep a front office interested even without a polished offensive rsum, using his size, rebounding and defense to stand out during his time with the team this summer.
The catch is the roster math still matters, and the Cavs do not have any two-way spots open right now. So Agee is heading into camp with a chance to keep climbing, likely by carving out a path through a G-League deal and then working his way toward a two-way opportunity later if he can keep impressing. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Get Their First Real Test With A Reshaped Camp Roster
The Cavaliers have put together a training camp roster that gives this fall a different feel, with four new invitees joining the mix as the team heads overseas to start work in Andalusia, Spain. Guards Kadary Richmond and Curtis Jones, along with forwards Zack Austin and Rashaun Agee, are among the fresh faces in a group that still centers on Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Camp begins Sept. 29 and includes practices and a scrimmage before the team returns to the United States for preseason games, so this trip should offer Cleveland its first real chance to sort out rotations and chemistry in a live setting. With a reshaped group and a handful of newcomers in the building, the early weeks of camp figure to matter for both evaluation and fit as the Cavaliers start laying the groundwork for the season. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Camp Could Decide Which Young Players Actually Stick
Training camp is going to matter a little more than usual for the Cavaliers young group, with Thomas, NaeQwan Tomlin, Proctor, Porter Jr. and Watson all expected to be in the mix for playing time. Cleveland has enough established pieces to know its shape at the top, but the real intrigue is at the edges of the roster, where these younger players will get a chance to show whether recent flashes can turn into something sturdier.
Preseason is likely to be the cleanest evaluation window for all five, especially with the 2026-27 season in mind. Strong camp work and real game minutes could help separate the players who are ready to stick from the ones who still need more time, and for a group like this, the margins are going to be thin. The Cavaliers do not need all of them to pop, but they do need a few to make a convincing case before the competition gets too crowded. [Read more 🡒]