Donovan Mitchell has already given the Cavaliers everything they could reasonably ask for since arriving in Cleveland in 2022. He has piled up records, stacked accolades, and come through in the biggest moments. He’s also been the steady hand in the room, the one who helped keep the team together when things got rocky last year.
That kind of production and leadership is why Mitchell has absolutely earned the label of franchise player. The Cavs paid a steep price to get him, and the contract he’s on now reflects exactly how valuable he’s been.
Still, there’s another level for him to reach - and if he gets there, Cleveland’s ceiling changes fast.
The next step for Mitchell is clear: he has to lean more into his playmaking.
No one is questioning his scoring. Mitchell gets to his spots, creates his own shot, and has long been one of the league’s toughest guards to handle.
But when playoff defenses load up on him, he can slip into tunnel vision. That has shown up in both the Toronto and Detroit series, when his driving lanes were taken away and he felt the need to force the action.
He did make adjustments at times, and Game 7 against the Pistons stood out as the clearest example, but that kind of response wasn’t consistent enough.
For Cleveland, this matters because the team is at its best when Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are rolling. When those two are controlling both ends of the floor, the Cavs look like a real contender. But getting there requires more than just touches - it requires Mitchell making sure they actually get the ball.
Mitchell has already talked about getting Mobley the ball in different spots this season and using him as a playmaker and hub, which is a good sign. Now it has to show up on the floor. An All-Star level Mobley changes everything for Cleveland, and Mitchell has already said as much.
The burden can’t fall on James Harden alone. Mitchell has to share that responsibility this season too.
There’s also the bigger career picture. Mitchell is moving into his 30s, and adding more passing to his game would help stretch out his effectiveness as he gets older.
He’s already adjusted by cutting back on dunks and leaning more on floaters. The next evolution is the one that turns him from elite scorer into even more complete offensive engine.
If he makes that leap, it doesn’t just help his own longevity - it gives the Cavs a much better shot to matter in the East.
In Other News...
Kenny Atkinson Is Challenging The Cavs In One Crucial Way
The Cavaliers have taken their preseason work overseas, using training camp in Malaga, Spain, as more than just a chance to get shots up and legs under them. Kenny Atkinson has framed the trip as a test of adaptation, with the staff leaning into team bonding, scrimmaging, conditioning and mental drills as Cleveland tries to build a sharper foundation before the season begins. Peyton Watson and the rest of the group are getting a very different kind of camp than the usual routine back home.
What makes the setup notable is the emphasis on the part of the game that can be easy to overlook in October: how a team responds when the environment changes and the work gets uncomfortable. Atkinson has made mental performance a priority in Malaga, and the Cavaliers are trying to turn that into camaraderie and resilience as they prepare for what comes next. The real question is how much of that edge carries over once the trip ends and the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
James Harden Just Added An Unexpected Twist To Clevelands Future
During the Cavaliers training camp in Spain, James Harden gave a glimpse of how he sees the later stages of his career, saying he has interest in eventually playing basketball in Europe or Spain. It was an interesting note to surface while Cleveland was working overseas, especially coming from a player who only recently committed to the team on a three-year contract and appears locked in on the present.
For now, the message is less about departure than possibility. Harden did not offer a timeline or suggest anything is imminent, but the idea of a future overseas stint adds a different layer to his Cleveland tenure and gives the Cavs something else to think about as they move through camp abroad. [Read more 🡒]
Donovan Mitchell Just Added Real Heat To Cavaliers Opening Night
Donovan Mitchell has become the face of Clevelands next chapter, and now he has already put a sharper edge on opening night. After LeBron James chose to sign a two-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers instead of returning to Cleveland, Mitchell referred to him as the enemy, a comment that instantly gave the Cavaliers season opener a little extra bite.
Mitchell was brought in before the 2022-23 season and has since locked in his long-term future with a four-year, $273 million extension, so this is very much his team now. Cleveland will open the season with Mitchell in the lineup against James 76ers, a matchup that already carries the kind of storyline the NBA likes to package and fans in Cleveland will not need much convincing to circle on the calendar. [Read more 🡒]