The Cleveland Cavaliers had their hands full in their 120-95 loss against the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their second-round series on Tuesday, and if that wasn’t enough bad news for Cavs fans to worry about, a new rumor regarding star guard Donovan Mitchell should certainly do the trick.
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, there are folks within the NBA that believe Mitchell will try to force his way out of Cleveland if the Cavs fail to win the 2024 NBA Finals.
“The Cavaliers are still competing, but many in NBA circles believe that, barring a title, Mitchell will force his way out of Cleveland this offseason,” he wrote.
The rumor likely comes as a tough pill to swallow for many Cavs fans. Beyond that, it is the latest report that seems to indicate that Mitchell is less than ecstatic about his current situation. In early April, a report suggested that if the Cavs fail to reach the NBA Finals this season, Mitchell could reject an extension with the team and look elsewhere.
If Mitchell does indeed elect to reject an extension, there is no doubt that he will have many suitors — whether via trade or when he eventually hits free agency. Mitchell put up 26.6 points, 6.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game on 46.2 percent shooting from the field and 36.8 shooting from deep during the 2023-24 regular season.
Since the start of the playoffs, he’s taken his scoring to another level. Through eight games in the playoffs, Mitchell is posting 29.3 points per game. He’s had four games in which he’s scored at least 30 points, including one game in which he dropped an eye-popping 50 points.
Despite that high level of performance, the Cavs needed seven games to defeat the Orlando Magic in the first round. They now find themselves in a one-game deficit against the Celtics. Though the series is still young, the Cavs seemed dramatically outmatched in Game 1.
It doesn’t help that star big man Jarrett Allen is currently out with an injury and reportedly in “excruciating” pain.
Game 2 of the second-round series between the Cavs and Celtics is set to tip on Thursday. A win for the Cavs may help in terms of quelling some concerns about Mitchell’s future in Cleveland.
