Report: Donovan Mitchell frustrated with some Cavs teammates
Jan 2, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) talks to a television reporter after the game between the Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mitchell set the franchise record for points with 71. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Cavaliers will have to clear up Donovan Mitchell’s future this offseason, but the star guard may have some reservations about the team as it is currently constructed.
Mitchell has grown frustrated at times with the level of commitment and lack of maturity and focus of some of his teammates, according to Chris Fedor of cleveland.com. The report says the veteran guard has had some frustration with younger teammates, and has also felt that those teammates have not been willing to listen and accept his guidance.
Fedor noted that there have also been whispers of a poor relationship between Mitchell and coach JB Bickerstaff, whose job status is very much in question after the Cavaliers fell to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
It is unclear which of Mitchell’s teammates are a source of his frustration. Fedor noted in a separate portion of his article, however, that there has been some frustration within the organization toward center Jarrett Allen over his slow recovery from a rib injury. A separate report by Shams Charania, Joe Vardon, and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic suggested some players and staff felt Allen could have done more to try to play in the Celtics series. The center ultimately sat out the entire series, missing the last eight games of the season.
Mitchell has one guaranteed year left on his contract and is eligible for a max extension with Cleveland this offseason. It remains to be seen whether an agreement will happen, as he is still being linked to other teams despite his insistence that he is happy with the Cavaliers.
Regardless of Mitchell’s status, changes appear likely for Cleveland this offseason. In fact, even if Mitchell stays, that could lead to another star player looking to move on.
