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Donovan Mitchell was acquired by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2022 to become the new face of the franchise. The main goal in Cleveland was to become competitive again, a trait that had disappeared when LeBron James departed in 2018. Immediately, Mitchell elevated this organization's overall potential and their future at the top of the East standings.
Darius Garland was a young, first-time All-Star, Evan Mobley was entering his second season, and Jarrett Allen's long-term outlook was being questioned when Mitchell took over as the leader of this team. As relationships were forged and this group embraced Mitchell, a clear path to becoming an elite franchise in the Eastern Conference once more appeared for Cleveland.
Although J.B. Bickerstaff led the Cavs back to the playoffs in three of his four seasons at the helm, a change was needed last offseason. That is why Bickerstaff was replaced by former Brooklyn Nets head coach and Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, a coach who has always led with charisma and love for a locker room he gets to call his extended family.
Atkinson learned a lot about building his players' characters and creating a family-like atmosphere during his time with Steve Kerr and the Warriors. He brought those teachings with him to the Cavaliers this season and immediately turned this organization into a true championship threat.
After a magical 64-18 regular season to claim the 1-seed in the Eastern Conference, Cleveland steamrolled the Miami Heat in their first-round series. Over their four games against Miami, the Cavaliers outscored their opponents by 122 total points, which is the largest total margin of victory in NBA Playoff history.
Unfortunately for the Cavs, they did not escape this series against Miami without the injury bug hitting them. While he brushed it off multiple times, it was clear that Mitchell's ankle was bothering him, as he dealt with this injury late in the regular season. Garland also missed the last two games of this series against the Heat due to a big toe injury.
A series sweep against Miami resulted in the Cavs drawing Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Pacers just made the conference finals a season ago and had found success against Cleveland during the regular season, which created an intriguing matchup.
As this series went on, more problems appeared for the Cavs.
Not only did the Pacers' energy, depth, and speed bother Cleveland, but Evan Mobley and De'Andre Hunter ended up injured after Game 1. Of course, Mitchell's injury in the Cavs' Game 4 blowout loss to Indiana headlined the concern for the Cavaliers in this series as they entered Game 5 on Monday night in a 3-1 hole.
Early on, it seemed like the Cavs created a lot of momentum for themselves with a 31-19 lead after the first quarter. If they could win Game 5 and get the series to 3-2 heading back to Indianapolis, there was a chance the East's 1-seed could create a lot of pressure and force a decisive Game 7.
That is nothing more than a dream living on in a different reality for the Cavs, as they went on to lose Game 5 in front of their home faithful 114-105 due to a lack of energy and stamina catching up to them. The bottom line is that Cleveland was outmatched and not 100 percent in this series.
Disappointment flooded Cleveland's locker room following Monday night's loss. This season wasn't supposed to end in the conference semifinals, especially after staking claim to home-court advantage in the East. Mitchell made it clear the team didn't achieve their ultimate goal this season despite all of the success.
“We took a step in the right direction but we didn't win a championship. And we didn't complete the end goal. No moral victories here,” Mitchell said. “We just didn't get the job done. There's really nothing else to be said.”
This is an inflection point for the Cavaliers. Many would assume changes are coming and adjustments will be made after the Eastern Conference Semifinals loss for the second straight season, but other plans exist.
Cleveland's 64 wins in the regular season are the most this franchise has seen since LeBron led the team to 66 wins during the 2008-09 season. That year for James and the Cavs was the peak of his first stint with the team, as they appeared to be on their way to becoming title threats for years to come before he jumped ship to team up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in South Beach.
This is certainly the peak of Mitchell's time paired with Garland, Mobley, and Allen. Not many teams can win 60 games, and Cleveland was the best offensive team in the league during the regular season.
However, the difference between this team and the one LeBron led to 66 wins is that the superstar isn't leaving any time soon.
Donovan Mitchell's future
When Mitchell was on the trade block in 2022 and ultimately traded to the Cavs, the narrative surrounding the All-Star guard was that his long-term future wasn't in Cleveland. Many in the media portrayed this trade as a short-term move for the Cavs, as Mitchell was destined for bigger and greater things.
Aside from all the rumors connecting Mitchell to the New York Knicks, a franchise he has never been shy about admitting he wanted to play for one day given his love for New York City, nobody believed the Cavs had what it took to elevate their status in the conference. After all, Garland and Mobley were two young, growing pieces with uncertain futures when Mitchell came to town.
Over the last three seasons, Mitchell has made the Cavs that “bigger and greater thing” everyone claimed he needed to find. This organization has gone from the bottom of the East without LeBron to being a real threat to reach the NBA Finals in the East. Most importantly, this core of Mitchell, Garland, Mobley, and Allen has matured alongside one another.
That is rare in today's NBA, as many organizations are so quick to shut things down and move in a different direction due to job security and the constant need for change.
The Cavaliers are different. Koby Altman and Mike Gansey run this organization differently than others in the league, and they have the full support of owner Dan Gilbert to do what it takes to make this team they have right now the best version it can possibly be.
Ultimately, that is why Bickerstaff was replaced by Atkinson. It's why Garland, who was brought up in trade rumors last summer, remained in Cleveland. This is another reason why the Cavs pulled off key a key move at the trade deadline to bring in De'Andre Hunter.
Altman and Gansey always have a big-picture approach when making decisions regarding this team's core, hence a decision being made to extend Mitchell on a new three-year extension in 2024. Again, consistent rumors appeared about Mitchell facing an uncertain future in Cleveland before this new contract was agreed upon. However, the six-time All-Star shut all of that talk down by committing to his future with the Cavs.
In the aftermath of losing to the Pacers in the 2025 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Mitchell remains fully invested in the Cavaliers' future, league sources told ClutchPoints. He loves the city of Cleveland and has consistently been on the same page as Altman, Gansey, and Gilbert. As far as his teammates, Mitchell couldn't ask for a better core group to play alongside.
Mitchell has one goal: to bring a championship to the city of Cleveland.
Although it appeared as if this season was their best to do so given the historic context of what they achieved, the Cavs and Mitchell remain in a great position. This is a learning experience for a team with four All-Star-worthy players just entering the prime years of their respective careers, and Mitchell is ready to lead them through adversity.
“I hope we all feel it, and I think we do. We lost 4-1. We were the one seed. It’s not like we were the eighth seed trying to beat the one seed,” Mitchell said on Wednesday following the team's heartbreaking Game 5 loss. “Don’t run from this. It’s gonna be a loud summer and a lot of voices about what the Cavs are and what they should do.
I’ve been through a few of those. Use it as fuel. It’s the only thing we can do.”
The star guard has no reason to believe he can't win in Cleveland, as this organization has given him everything a superstar No. 1 option in this league wants and needs.
He has a great frontcourt. He has a proven All-Star as his running mate in the backcourt. He has a head coach who fully trusts in and puts his players first.
This is the perfect situation for Mitchell to continue being the face of a franchise in the NBA. Better yet, he is with an organization that believes, top to bottom, that he's one of the elite talents in this league.
“This is a special place,” Mitchell admitted on Wednesday. “All season, it felt like, ‘Man, alright, this is what I dreamed about as a kid.' Who am I not to try to literally die out there on the floor for the fans that put so much into us, you know?
“For me and for us as a group, this is a special place… We (are) going to find a way.”
The scars of failing to reach their goals this season build character in Cleveland. No championship team through the years breezed through their competition without hitting at least one roadblock along the way.
Mitchell understands this, which is why he isn't prepared to quit. He loves the city he represents, and he loves the organization that reciprocates the same level of love to him. While this series loss stings more than any loss he's suffered in his eight NBA seasons, Mitchell is prepared to learn as a leader and have his team in the same position to achieve a different outcome next year.
“We believed that this was a year, everybody did. Y'all all said it. So that's what sucks. “But on the flip side, I said it last night, we'll be back. This is what makes people who they are. It's what makes teams who they are. When they tell that story, when they reach the pinnacle, you reflect back on these moments. You reflect on those moments when you get to the top, whenever that may be.
“It sucks and it hurts because it wasn't supposed to end like this.”
Why Cavaliers don't feel pressure after playoff loss
Mitchell, Garland, and Mobley were all All-Stars this season, making the Cavaliers the only team in the league to have more than two representatives at All-Star Weekend in San Francisco. Mobley was named the 2024-25 Defensive Player of the Year at the start of the playoffs, and Atkinson was recently named the 2024-25 NBA Coach of the Year.
Many accolades and records were achieved throughout this season for the Cavs, yet all of their accomplishments feel as if they were for nothing due to the conference semifinal loss. The Pacers are a great team. Atkinson acknowledged this on multiple occasions, but he still believes his team had the talent to advance and possibly make a run to the NBA Finals.
So, what went wrong for the Cavs?
Injuries began to compound for Cleveland at the wrong time, and as a result, this team seemed to lose its mental edge late in the regular season. There was a four-game stretch in the middle of March where the Cavs lost four straight games, two of which came to teams that did not make the playoffs. From that point on, the once-thought invincible Cavaliers look mortal and shaken.
The confidence a team gains throughout the 82-game season is ever-changing. As much as talent matters in the postseason, confidence and belief tend to outweigh such a factor. Although many would argue that Cleveland is the better overall team compared to Indiana, it was the Pacers' confidence and mental fortitude that buried the Cavs' postseason hopes.
Cleveland had a chance to win all but one game in this series, a Game 4 massacre in Indiana, yet they always seemed to fall apart at big moments. That is what happened in their Game 2 loss at home, a game in which Mitchell scored 48 points, and it's something the superstar knows that his team needs to learn from in the offseason.
“I think for us, the margins — the little things,” Mitchell said when questioned about what the group needs to improve the most. “Up seven, loss. We start the half off last game and for about three and a half, four minutes, they're a better basketball team. So, we're not the basketball team we were to be up 20 for those four minutes and then come back.
“In the playoffs, it's like every little thing… We can be better in those situations.”
As the summer begins well before Cleveland thought it would, many are already beginning to speculate what the future holds. Mobley won the DPOY award, meaning his contract extension increased by $45 million, ultimately raising the Cavs' total payroll for the 2025-26 season.
All of their core pieces, along with De'Andre Hunter and Max Strus, are under contract for the 2025-26 season. That is why there is no panic in Cleveland following this heartbreaking loss. This team was assembled for a specific reason, and the Cavs are not prepared to give up so easily, especially now that the East is wide open.
Every little thing that happens in the NBA Playoffs has a drastic impact on the seasons to come. Injuries occur, and all of a sudden, multiple teams in the East have seen their championship window open with Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum suffering a torn Achilles. Milwaukee Bucks star guard Damian Lillard also suffered an Achilles injury in the postseason, and there are major questions about Giannis Antetokounmpo's future.
Two of the top five teams in the East with championship expectations are set to take a step back heading into the 2025-26 season due to injuries, which gives Cleveland even more confidence that this season was a stepping stone for what is to come.
You can't rush a championship journey. Teams have tried to do this previously by making all-in moves for superstar talents, and it has blown up in their face.
Just look at what has happened with the Phoenix Suns and their roster headlined by three superstars. After making the 2021 NBA Finals, the Suns pushed all of their chips in to pair Devin Booker with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal instead of building off their success with the depth they had. That organization has not found any postseason success with their “Big 3.”
The idea of sacrificing youth isn't something that fits Cleveland's agenda. Mobley and Garland are two players they believe in, and Allen is one of the positive leaders of the team. He is the guy who keeps everyone's spirits high and has really helped build the internal brotherhood that exists.
Despite outside noise chanting for major changes, the Cavaliers enter the offseason understanding that a big opportunity is ahead entering the 2025-26 season. The Cavs will once again be the best team in the East, and their path to possibly achieving championship glory has become a lot easier with Tatum, Lillard, and others out of the picture for the time being.
While changes are necessary, it is foolish to believe that the Cavs will give up on their four stars so soon.
Where Cavs go from here
A total of 11 players are under contract in Cleveland for the 2025-26 season. Mitchell, Mobley, Garland, and Allen will combine to make over $140 million. Add Hunter and Strus to the mix and the Cavs own a payroll of over $180 million between six players.
Although Mobley's increased contract slightly complicates the Cavaliers' payroll for next season, there isn't a sense of panic to dump salary, sources said. Then again, some moves will be made to put the Cavs in a better financial position.
Dean Wade enters the final year of his contract at $6.6 million, with $4.6 million guaranteed right now. Chuma Okeke has a $2.5 million team option, and Craig Porter Jr.'s $2.2 million contract is non-guaranteed. That is over $10 million in funds for Altman and his staff to evaluate, and then there are questions surrounding Isaac Okoro's future.
Okoro was a restricted free agent last summer that the Cavs explored the possibility of including in a sign-and-trade. Ultimately, there wasn't much of a market for Okoro, leading to the 24-year-old signing a three-year, $38 million contract to return. That did not come until September, about a month before the start of the 2024-25 season.
It has become abundantly clear that Okoro doesn't have a long-term future in Cleveland. His $11 million contract can be utilized by the Cavs in the offseason either as a tax break/salary move or as a means to further improve their roster in trade talks. All of this comes down to how much money Gilbert is willing to pay in taxes with this group being an apron team.
Early indications are that the Cavs will be willing to pay the necessary price to maximize their championship potential. While they would obviously like to be below these major tax lines, it has become much harder to achieve with the increased salaries.
A decision to move Okoro, and possibly Wade as well, puts the Cavs in a position to temporarily move below the first apron. However, Okoro isn't the only player whose future is in question, as Ty Jerome, a 2024-25 NBA Sixth Man of the Year finalist, is set to be an unrestricted free agent.
The Cavs have interest in keeping Jerome, sources said. He was the backbone of this team's bench, and he thrived in Atkinson's system as a key backup behind Garland and Mitchell in the backcourt until struggling against Indiana. Jerome had some big moments in Cleveland this season, and his bench production was vital to the team achieving the best offensive rating in the league.
However, if Jerome demands a new contract over $12 million per season in free agency, his price will exceed Cleveland's intentions. After all, that would be a lot for the Cavs to devote to a third-string guard who is undersized and doesn't bring much to the table defensively. Plus, his playoff setback will be fresh in the front office's minds.
Should the Sixth Man of the Year candidate end up departing Cleveland, there are cheaper, more cost-effective options available for the Cavs to explore. Tre and Tyus Jones are two brothers who will be free agents this offseason with a proven record of being great secondary facilitators. Tyus Jones would be an obvious upgrade on Cleveland's bench if he's willing to accept a lesser role on a championship-contending team.
Spencer Dinwiddie is another intriguing name who will draw connections to the Cavs in free agency on a minimum-like contract. The 32-year-old guard was a stabilizing presence in the Dallas Mavericks' backcourt when Kyrie Irving went down with his ACL injury this season, and he has an obvious history with Atkinson and Allen.
The two best seasons of Dinwiddie's career came with Atkinson on the sidelines for the Brooklyn Nets. During the 2018-19 season, the veteran finished fourth in the Sixth Man of the Year voting. In addition to Dinwiddie, another buy-low candidate being linked to the Cavs in league circles is Alec Burks.
With the Miami Heat this past season, Burks averaged 7.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in roughly 17.6 minutes per game. The 33-year-old veteran wing shot 42.5 percent from 3-point range.
Major changes are not coming in Cleveland.
Instead, Altman and this front office will make moves around the edges to expand on the championship potential this core has created. Mitchell, Garland, Mobley, and Allen aren't going anywhere, as the Cavs' championship window is wide open. Ownership recognizes this, which is why major moves aren't imminent.
“Cavs fan, I know it’s heartbreaking. But the good news is, we have a talented young core that will learn from this and continue to get better,” Gilbert said in a statement on social media following the Cavs' loss. “We appreciate your incredible support all season long. It’s not how we wanted it to end, but I promise you we will do everything humanly possible to address what needs to be fixed and end in a much better place next year.”
The Cavs won 64 games for a reason. Playoff disappointment is a part of the learning curve for this young core. Now that they have taken that first big step together, Cleveland can reshape their confidence to become a true title threat.
(ClutchPoints' Cavaliers reporter Evan Dammarell also contributed to this story)
