Cleveland Cavaliers fans must thank Donovan Mitchell for the team’s top seed in the Eastern Conference. While the Cavs have an outstanding squad of great players, Spida became the team’s core pillar. He was instrumental in transforming the Kenny Atkinson-led squad into one of the league’s best.
His decision to return for three more seasons helped the Cavs build the roster that eventually took over the regular season.
While it’s hard to imagine Mitchell playing anywhere else this season, there were rumors of Mitchell leaving the squad last year. Belief was high that the former Louisville Cardinal would opt for Brooklyn or Los Angeles before re-upping his contract in Ohio. After all, many thought he would be headed to Madison Square Garden after wanting out of the Utah Jazz.
However, insider info paints a different portrait of the Mitchell saga. The reveal suggests that Mitchell wasn’t looking for a new place to call home.
Insider reveals Donovan Mitchell wanted to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers because of the squad quality
Chris Fedor of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast discussed how much Mitchell wanted to play for the Cavaliers when he eventually got shipped there. He also revealed his motivation for choosing to stay in Cleveland.
A cleveland.com piece discussed Fedor’s revelation of what happened after the deal was greenlit:
“There’s a reason why he ran around at Miami beach golf course and celebrated going to the Cavs, despite the fact that a majority of people around the NBA, including Donovan, thought that he was New York bound,” Fedor explained. “If he was at all upset about that, then he wouldn’t have had that kind of reaction.”
“For him, primarily, it’s been about winning and what gives him the best chance to compete for championships,” Fedor said on the podcast. “This situation in Cleveland, this is a championship level team. This is a legitimate championship contender this year.”
The Knicks eventually became contenders thanks to Jalen Brunson’s leadership and Tom Thibodeau’s tactical acumen. However, it’s hard to deny how exciting the Cavaliers lineup has been since he joined the squad.
While the Finals are far from secured for the Cavs, the fans would be happy to know that they have a star who loves playing for them to be on the team. As long as no drastic changes are made, it wouldn’t be weird to expect the Cavs to remain contenders for a good while.
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