Why is the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell angry at the media?
The Cavs star has now hit back following reports of unrest between him and his teammates. Of course, it does nothing to address his uncertain future.
It’s now clear that there is trouble brewing in Cleveland. Between the Cavs’ untimely playoffs exit and the circumstances surrounding their star, it’s not a good look. What comes next is anybody’s guess, but rest assured it will involve some tough choices.
Donovan Mitchell is not happy with the media
If you caught our previous report about Donovan Mitchell’s situation, you will recall that we spoke to reports that indicated that the Cavs may soon have to choose between him and teammate Darius Garland. Indeed, it is understood that should the franchise choose to extend Mitchell’s contract, Garland could be on his way out. Yet, we also referenced a report that suggested that Mitchell himself was frustrated with his teammates. More specifically it stated that the 28-year-old “grew frustrated with some teammates’ lack of maturity, focus, playoff-level readiness, and a willingness to listen.”
This is where things appear to have gone off the rails. As many would have seen, Mitchell took to social media on Thursday where he gave a rather frank response to the reporting on his alleged frustration. “Yeah aight [cap] I’m sick of y’all sometimes!,” he stated on X (formerly known as Twitter). It’s worth noting that this is one of the few times where Mitchell has given any insight into what his thinking is. Indeed, the Cavs’ star has largely remained tightlipped about his future, however, as you would also have seen in our previous report, there is a “growing sentiment” that the Cavs may yet be able to retain his services, which again may result in Garland’s departure.
OK, so what comes next for Donovan Mitchell?
That’s a good question. On one side we’ve got arguably one of the best young guards in the league and one who is a prolific scorer. Between his age, ability and current contract situation, he would be an attractive prospect for any team looking for a point guard who can score. By all accounts, the New York Knicks are at the top of the list, an idea given further weight by the fact that it’s Mitchell’s hometown team. Where details are concerned, we do know that Mitchell is owed $35.4 million next season and has a player option for the 2025-26 season. Again, he’s an attractive prospect.
This is where we’ve got to address the team itself. The Cavs have an exciting young core, but after a second-round playoff exit to the Boston Celtics, it’s clear that the roster still needs work. Can the franchise build a better team around its star and is that all that’s required? There have already been suggestions that head coach JB Bickerstaff’s job is in danger, which isn’t entirely surprising given that it’s also been reported that Mitchell is not on the same page as him. We all know how quickly coaches can be shown the door if the star player isn’t behind them.
Ultimately, there is no concrete evidence that Mitchell is about to leave and the fact that he’s attempting to squash reports that he’s unhappy with his team certainly seems to give the impression that he’s fine where he is. On the other hand, it’s hard to deny that with everything we’ve seen and heard changes aren’t coming in Cleveland. At any rate, the one thing we can take as fact is that the Cavs can’t be happy with the result they got this year, meaning we can count on seeing a concerted effort to do better next season. What that means and how that will look? We can only wait and see.