Donovan Mitchell eyeing NBA championship within 5 years: ‘I want to win a title with this group’

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell shared that he would like to win a title over the next five years.

“Ideally, if I can paint a picture, I would win a championship at some point over the next five years,” he told The Athletic. “It’s hard to win championships. It’s hard to win in this league. Despite public opinion, I love being in Cleveland and I want to win a title with this group.”

This past offseason, Mitchell committed to Cleveland for the long haul, signing an extension that will keep him with the franchise through the 2026-27 season. Mitchell also has a player option attached to that deal for the 2027-28 campaign.

That commitment may indicate just how much Mitchell believes in the Cavs’ current group of Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and others. The Cavs apparently believe in that group as well, as they extended both Allen and Mobley in the offseason, too.

So far, the moves have paid off, as Cleveland has the best record in the NBA and holds the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference through 30 games this season. The Cavs are 26-4 after they beat the Utah Jazz on Monday night.

As for Mitchell, he’s played extremely well – and done so efficiently – in the 2024-25 season. The five-time All-Star is averaging 23.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from beyond the arc.

Since trading for Mitchell prior to the 2022-23 season, the Cavs have continued to take steps in the right direction.

In Mitchell’s first season with the team, Cleveland made the playoffs for the first time since franchise legend LeBron James left for the Los Angeles Lakers, earning the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference in the 2023 postseason. Cleveland was eliminated in the first round by the New York Knicks, but getting to the playoffs was a huge milestone for the Cavs.

Then, one season ago, Cleveland once again earned the No. 4 seed in the East and ended up knocking out the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs. The Cavs did lose to the Boston Celtics in the second round, but both Mitchell and Allen missed time in that series with injuries.

Now, the Cavs are looking to take the next step in the 2024-25 season. Hopefully, they’ll continue building with their current core to make Mitchell’s goal of winning a title a reality.