Donovan Mitchell recently turned 27 years old, and he and his Cleveland Cavaliers teammates seem to have enjoyed the birthday celebration.
The star shooting guard posted videos of the revelries on his Instagram stories, which also included Evan Mobley having a good time on the dance floor.
Amid some rumors linking him to the New York Knicks, Mitchell looks committed to his current teammates. After all, the earliest he can become a free agent is the 2025 offseason. He has a player option for the 2025-26 campaign, and unless the Cavs implode between now and then, they’ll likely have a chance to keep him around for a while.
Moreover, staying with the Cavs provides Mitchell with the opportunity to play alongside one of the most promising big men in the league.
Since entering the NBA as the No. 3 pick of the 2021 draft, Mobley has shown great strides on the basketball court. Last season, he emerged as one of the league’s best defensive players, finishing third in Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) voting and earning a spot on the All-Defensive First Team. He was recently given promising odds to win 2023-24 DPOY honors.
As for Mitchell, “Spida” had a career year in his first season with Cleveland. Not only did he finish the 2022-23 regular season with career-highs in points per game (28.3) and shooting percentage (48.4), but he also secured his first All-NBA selection.
Unfortunately, Mitchell, Mobley and company suffered a setback in the playoffs against the Knicks. Both of them saw their numbers dip a bit in the first-round matchup, surely due in part to New York’s tough and gritty defense. The Cavs bowed out in five games, managing to eclipse the 100-point mark just once.
Still, it was a step in the right direction for a franchise that had missed the playoffs in the previous four campaigns.
Another offseason together may help Mitchell and Mobley improve further. And, of course, they also have other impressive teammates, including 2022 All-Star selections Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen.
Offseason acquisitions like Max Strus, Georges Niang, Ty Jerome, Damian Jones and Emoni Bates may also provide the needed help to get over the hump this season.
