The Cleveland Cavaliers recently finished their most successful post-season since LeBron James was on the roster. Without question, the key to the Cavs' doing well has been star Donovan Mitchell. But if Cleveland isn't going to make smart moves to support him, it's time to let Mitchell move on.
Without question, Mitchell is one of the top players in the modern NBA. He is a seven-time NBA All-Star from 2020 through 2026, and that streak is likely to continue in 2027. On top of that, he's been named to multiple All-NBA teams as well as winning the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 2018.
In 2022, the Jazz traded him to the Cavaliers in exchange for Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, Ochai Agbaji, unprotected first-round picks in 2025, 2027, and 2029, and pick swaps in 2026 and 2028. Utah got quite a haul, but it sure seems like Cleveland came out ahead on that deal.
Since adding Mitchell to the roster, the Cavs have made the playoffs in four consecutive years after a four-season drought. Cleveland has a solid team for the most part, but it's hard to ignore the fact that Mitchell has been a catalyst for their recent success. The problem is what's not happening.
The Cavaliers must make better choices with Donovan Mitchell
Unfortunately for Cleveland, the 2026 post-season ended by getting swept by the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. A major reason for that was James Harden, who is notorious for collapsing in the playoffs and repeated the exact same pattern with the Cavs.
The crazy part is that the Cavaliers traded Darius Garland to get Harden, and he would have done so much better for them in the playoffs. As it stands, Cleveland has a team that will continue to make the postseason, but they are unlikely to contend for a championship. That means serious choices.
Mitchell is core to the team, but the Cavaliers have to make some real decisions to make good use of him. That means dropping Harden and finding a legit co-star for him. Beyond that, the Cavs have to make better use of their depth. They have a strong bench and need to start playing like it.
If they don't get it together, Cleveland will continue to waste Mitchell's prime years with nothing to show for it. This is a "do better or trade him" situation for the Cavs. They absolutely could win it all with Mitchell, as long as everyone on the team takes winning as seriously as Mitchell does.
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