Donovan Mitchell has already done plenty in Cleveland, but that’s exactly why the pressure keeps rising.
Four years after arriving, Mitchell has become the face of a Cavaliers run that has included a playoff appearance every season and, last year, the franchise’s first non-LeBron Eastern Conference finals trip since 1992. He has put up eye-catching moments along the way, from a 71-point game to taking teammates on road trips in an effort to build chemistry. Now, with a new four-year extension signed and his contract locked in, the expectations around him have only sharpened.
The way last season ended still hangs over the team. Cleveland got past the Pistons in Game 7 and rode that momentum into the ECF, only to be swept by the Knicks about a week later. That Game 1 collapse didn’t just cost the Cavaliers a win; it seemed to drain the life out of the group.
That’s where Mitchell comes in. As the Cavs head toward training camp in Spain in a few weeks, he’ll have chances to pull the roster back together and set the tone again. Even with 11X All-Star and veteran James Harden in the mix, this is still #45’s team, and the responsibility for getting it right sits with him.
None of that means Mitchell was solely to blame for how things unraveled. But the turnaround is going to land on his shoulders all the same.
And the bar in Cleveland is no longer just making the ECF. That’s nice, but it’s not the finish line.
The Cavaliers have re-signed James Harden and traded for Peyton Watson, and they’re looking to push through a crowded East that includes the champion Knicks, LeBron James and Jaylen Brown with the Sixers, the Raptors adding Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo moving to the Heat, and Tyrese Haliburton returning. Those names don’t change what Cleveland has to do.
For Mitchell, the extension worth close to $70 million a year will only feel right if the playoff results keep coming. He has had brilliant postseason stretches, but he has also had nights where he simply hasn’t shown up. When that happens, the ripple effect can hit the entire offense, with his ball movement fading as he tries to force his way out of a slump.
At 30, Mitchell is at the point where he has to prove he can do it on any stage against any opponent. He has already established himself as one of the most dangerous players in the league when he’s locked in. One of the best players in franchise history, he may still have another level to reach.
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Cavs May Have Bigger Plans For Peyton Watson Than Fans Realize
Peyton Watsons move to Cleveland did more than change jerseys. After being traded from Denver to the Cavaliers in a sign-and-trade following the 2026 season, he arrives with the kind of runway that can matter on a team trying to balance proven star power with long-term upside. The early expectation is clear enough: Watson is projected to step into a starting role alongside Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, giving the Cavs another athletic, versatile piece in the mix.
What makes the fit interesting is not just the role, but the support around it. Aaron Gordon, Watsons former teammate in Denver, has already backed him publicly, a small reminder that the Cavaliers are getting a player who left behind some real respect in the locker room. For Cleveland, the question now is how far that trust stretches, and whether Watson is simply another starter or someone the team believes can grow into something more. [Read more 🡒]
Donovan Mitchell Just Raised The Stakes For Evan Mobley
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Donovan Mitchell has noticed the arc, and he is viewing this season as a defining one for Mobley. The Cavaliers already know what he can do at his best, but the next step is less about flashes and more about cementing himself as a true co-star beside Mitchell for the long haul. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Fans Will Love The Latest Delonte West Comeback Sign
Delonte Wests name has carried a different kind of weight for Cleveland fans in recent years, but the latest update around the former Cavaliers guard points to something far more encouraging than nostalgia. West has completed 100 days in a wellness and recovery program in Florida and is reportedly sober, a meaningful milestone for a player whose post-NBA story has often centered on hardship instead of basketball.
Now there is also a basketball-related twist attached to the comeback vibe. The NBA 2K franchise plans to include West as a playable character in NBA 2K27, with royalty payments beginning in March 2027, and he has recently shown he can still handle himself on the court by beating a YouTuber in a one-on-one game. It is not the same as a return to the league, but for Cavs fans, it is another reminder that Wests story is still being written. [Read more 🡒]