Tag: Donovan mitchell

2024-25 Cleveland Cavaliers: A quick preview

The Cleveland Cavaliers are quietly positioning themselves as dark horse championship contenders, with the potential to be a Top 4 team in the Eastern Conference this season. Donovan Mitchell’s contract extension removes any offseason uncertainty, …

The Cleveland Cavaliers are quietly positioning themselves as dark horse championship contenders, with the potential to be a Top 4 team in the Eastern Conference this season. Donovan Mitchell‘s contract extension removes any offseason uncertainty, securing the All-Star guard for at least the next three years. Now, the focus shifts to new head coach Kenny Atkinson, who inherits a talented roster returning with the same formidable starting five.

After a promising run last year, the Cavaliers are poised to aim higher. Anything less than a deep playoff run will be considered a disappointment. Mitchell, one of the elite guards in the league, is a dynamic scorer who can create his own shot, facilitate for his teammates, and attack the rim. His backcourt partner, Darius Garland, also dealt with injuries in the postseason, but when healthy, the duo forms one of the most potent backcourts in the NBA.

The Cavs’ starting five – Mitchell, Garland, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen – ranks among the best in the league. While there may be concerns about depth, the combination of Mobley and Allen gives Cleveland a defensive edge, especially in the paint, where both excel as shot-blockers, averaging 1.4 and 1.1 blocks per game, respectively, last season. Mobley, only 22, continues to develop into a star, and his growth will be key to Cleveland’s success this season.

As the team looks to avoid the luxury tax (after re-signing Okoro), potential roster moves may involve cutting non-guaranteed contracts like Tristan Thompson or Sam Merrill. However, with the same roster largely intact, Atkinson’s coaching and Mobley’s continued development, particularly in improving floor spacing, will be the key factors in propelling the Cavaliers into serious championship contention.

WATCH: NBA All-Star reveals what it was like being at Louisville with Lamar Jackson

Donovan Mitchell says Lamar Jackson was so exciting as a QB he had the Louisville basketball team getting up at 6am to tailgate and watch

Lamar Jackson has always been talented and polarizing. The Ravens MVP quarterback was so dynamic at the University of Louisville that even the basketball team was huge fans.

Donovan Mitchell is an All-Star for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Before being drafted in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz, he was a classmate and good friend of Baltimore’s star signal-caller.

During a recent appearance on ‘7PM in Brooklyn’ with Carmelo Anthony and The Kid Mero, Mitchell told a hilarious story about Jackson being so famous that he had the men’s basketball team get up early on Saturday mornings to tailgate.

The University of Louisville retired Lamar Jackson’s number 8 jersey on November 13, 2021, during halftime of the Cardinals’ game against Syracuse. The ceremony, which took place at Cardinal Stadium, celebrated Jackson’s accomplishments as a player for the Cardinals and his impact on the community.

During his three seasons with the Cardinals, Jackson had 9,043 passing yards with 69 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. He also had 4,132 rushing yards and 50 touchdowns on the ground, and a Heisman Trophy.

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Donovan Mitchell shows his love for Cleveland, parties with Browns fans

The Cavs star shows his love for the city!

Cleveland Cavaliers star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell continues to embrace the city, where he recently signed a long-term extension. Before the Cleveland Browns’ Week 1 game against the Dallas Cowboys, Mitchell was seen in the Muni Lot with fans and defensive end Myles Garrett.

In typical tailgating fashion, Mitchell was keg bowling with fans in downtown Cleveland as the city prepared for the Browns’ season opener. Despite all the rumors surrounding Mitchell since his arrival in September 2022, he has shown tremendous love and support for the city’s other franchises and its fans.

https://twitter.com/MikeLucasTV/status/1832858004418592873

The Cavaliers star is fresh off another strong postseason run, including a series win over the Orlando Magic in seven games. With Garrett recently becoming a minority owner of the Cavs, two of the biggest faces in Cleveland sports have been excellent city representatives.

The city of Cleveland is buzzing. Can the Browns reward their faithful with a strong Week 1 showing?

Projecting the U.S. men’s basketball roster for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles

Anthony Edwards called next.

Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey. Now, here’s Bryan Kalbrosky.

The 2024 Paris Olympics are in the rearview mirror and to no surprise, the United States once again earned a gold medal in basketball.

Led by a trio of NBA veterans, the U.S. men’s basketball roster was thrilling. Basketball fans were delighted to see LeBron James play with Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant at the same time and the results were incredible.

Now that the Olympics will leave France and the United States will become the next host nation, the focus will shift to what the roster could look like in 2028.

It is an impossible question to answer because so much of this depends on health, interest, coaching, development, and various other circumstances we can’t predict.

But based on what we know so far, factoring in age and relationships with the USA Basketball, here is our best guess as of right now:

GUARDS

Anthony Edwards

Devin Booker

Tyrese Haliburton

Donovan Mitchell

Tyrese Maxey

FORWARDS

Jayson Tatum

Paolo Banchero

Scottie Barnes

Cooper Flagg

BIGS

Bam Adebayo

Chet Holmgren

Evan Mobley

Noah Lyles denies beef with Anthony Edwards

Photos by MARTIN BERNETTI Damien MEYER / AFP

U.S. track and field sprinter Noah Lyles caused some more controversy this weekend:

“Two of the biggest stars from the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics were Noah Lyles and Anthony Edwards.

Lyles and Edwards both became first-time Olympic gold medalists this summer. Before testing positive for COVID-19 and withdrawing from the Olympics this year, Lyles won a gold medal in the 100 meter for track and field. Edwards was a standout performer on the U.S. men’s basketball roster.

Both gold medalists have signed endorsement deals with the shoe company adidas. Recent reporting suggests that there is potentially animosity between the two, but Lyles is attempting to squash those growing rumors.”

You can read more here.

Shootaround

— 5 things we learned about the NBA (Victor Wembanyama’s rise is truly inevitable) at the Paris Olympics

— Tyrese Haliburton had the most perfect post after winning a gold medal despite limited playing time

— Hoops fans thought A’ja Wilson and Bam Adebayo’s polite handshake was so unsubtle amid dating rumors

— An earthquake interrupted ESPN’s NBA Today show but Malika Andrews handled it like a pro

Report: Rockets monitoring Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker, Zion Williamson for future trades

Unlike Kevin Durant and James Harden, Houston would have trade interest in Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker, and Zion Williamson. However, none are currently available.

Despite his interest in returning to Houston, a 34-year-old James Harden was deemed too old in the 2023 offseason to fit with the young core of the rebuilding Rockets. The same holds true with Kevin Durant in 2024, despite some recent reports to the contrary.

However, if the player was closer to age alignment with Houston’s young core, general manager Rafael Stone would love to add a proven All-Star to help mold his team into an eventual title contender.

So, who might that player be? None are believed to be available in the 2024 offseason, but Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic dropped three names who could fit. They write:

So, who are the Rockets interested in as franchise centerpiece material? League sources say that Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell (who is 27 and widely expected to sign an extension with the Cavs soon), the Suns’ Devin Booker (also 27), and New Orleans’ Zion Williamson (23) would all fit the bill. The only problem, of course, is that none of them are expected to be available anytime soon.

With Booker specifically, it could help the cause that Houston now owns several future first-round draft assets from Phoenix.

But in 2024, the Suns are still trying to compete with a veteran-laden core. Thus, the time for Stone and the Rockets to have a talk with Phoenix about Booker and those picks is likely at least a year away.

In the meantime, the Rockets will continue allowing their young core to grow, all while gaining more information on those younger players. Then, in 2025 and beyond, all sides can re-evaluate.

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Report: Rival NBA execs expect Donovan Mitchell to stay in Cleveland

The Rockets are reportedly monitoring Donovan Mitchell’s status in Cleveland, but HoopsHype insider Michael Scotto reports that he’s likely staying put.

Shortly after the Cleveland Cavaliers were eliminated from the 2024 NBA playoffs in May, reports emerged that the Houston Rockets were among teams monitoring the status of Donovan Mitchell.

Cleveland’s All-Star guard can become a free agent as soon as 2025. With that in mind, if he wants to move on, the 2024 offseason would be the optimal time for the Cavaliers to trade Mitchell at peak value and avoid any scenario where he leaves for reduced compensation.

But according to HoopsHype’s NBA insider, Michael Scotto, it doesn’t look like Mitchell wants to leave the Cavaliers — who recently moved on from head coach JB Bickerstaff. Scotto writes:

Several rival executives believe Donovan Mitchell will sign an extension with Cleveland. The belief is Mitchell, who just completed his seventh season, will sign a max extension for at least the next three seasons, which would put him at 10 years of service and eligible for more money on his next contract due to CBA rules.

If Mitchell is indeed unavailable, it isn’t clear if Houston has any replacement targets in mind. The Athletic’s Kelly Iko reports that names such as Brooklyn’s Mikal Bridges and New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram, who could be available, are less appealing to the Rockets.

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Former Sixers forward Marcus Morris Sr. speaks on Donovan Mitchell’s future

Former Philadelphia 76ers forward Marcus Morris Sr. gives his thoughts on Donovan Mitchell’s future.

As the offseason begins, some big names will be available for the Philadelphia 76ers. Whether through trade or free agency, the Sixers will be involved in some way due to the cap space they possess.

One interesting name is Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell. The All-Star guard has not signed an extension with the Cavs and will be a free agent in 2025. There is a school of thought Mitchell will be traded this offseason because Cleveland will want to get something in return for him.

Former Sixers forward Marcus Morris Sr., who finished the season with the Cavs, hopped on FanDuel TV’s “Run it Back” and gave his thoughts on Mitchell’s future:

I think Don really liked it there. He could be himself, he was growing into a leader. I think Cleveland is a really good place for him. It’s a great market, great fans always showing out. I would be highly surprised if he left.

If the Sixers can get Mitchell by giving Cleveland draft picks and cap relief, it would be a huge pickup for them. He would provide perimeter scoring next to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, and he is a proven playoff performer. He averaged 29.6 points in the playoffs for Cleveland.

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A huge trade target may not become available for the Lakers

The Lakers may have to change their plans as far as who to target in a trade for a third star this summer.

For the last few months, it has been no secret the Los Angeles Lakers plan to make a big swing on the trade market this summer. While they have a good roster, it’s a roster that’s a bit short of the needed qualities to truly compete for the NBA championship.

Trae Young, Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell have been mentioned as possible trade targets. Of the three, Mitchell is reportedly L.A.’s preferred target — for good reason. He has made the All-Star team in each of the last five seasons, and he is a dynamic scoring threat who is just 27 years of age.

After Mitchell’s Cleveland Cavaliers lost in the second round of the playoffs, it was thought he was inching closer to possibly asking for a trade. But Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was fired, and, according to Shams Charania, the team has a lot of optimism that Mitchell will sign a long-term extension.

This could always be a blessing in disguise for the Lakers. While, in a perfect world, Mitchell would be an ideal star to place alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, his cost would be steep for the Lakers. In addition, a source said that Cavs owner Dan Gilbert would never trade Mitchell to Los Angeles.

Perhaps the team would be better off going after another talented guard who the Lakers could get while giving up fewer assets.

New trade proposal sees the San Antonio Spurs speed up their rebuild with Donovan Mitchell

Will this help the Cavs restock their war chest to refocus the rebuild around rising big man Evan Mobley?

A new trade proposal put together by Bleacher Report NBA analyst Andy Bailey sees the San Antonio Spurs speed up their rebuild with a trade that brings Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Donovan Mitchell to Texas.

The swap, which Bailey has as primarily focused on Spurs forward Keldon Johnson and a LOT of draft assets, would help the Cavs restock their war chest to refocus the rebuild around rising big man Evan Mobley and point guard Darius Garland. “Johnson, who averaged 22.0 points per game in 2022-23, would be an interesting piece to play alongside the young duo of … Garland and … Mobley, too,” writes the B/R analyst.

“This trade would likely make the Cavs worse in the short term, but it would be a far better outcome than losing Mitchell for nothing as a free agent in 2025,” he adds.

“Meanwhile, this move could put the Spurs in the hunt for a playoff spot as soon as next season,” suggests Bailey.

“Victor Wembanyama had a borderline All-NBA season as a rookie, and when he shared the floor with Devin Vassell and Tre Jones, the woeful Spurs outscored opponents by 10.2 points per 100 possessions.”

“Add Mitchell to that mix, and San Antonio would instantly have one of the NBA’s best one-two punches and a potential foundation for contention.”

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Notre Dame All-American Hannah Hidalgo has photo with Donovan Mitchell

Hannah’s in the big time now.

Some might have figured [autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] would impress in her freshman season at Notre Dame. Few could have predicted just how impressive she would be though. She led everybody in steals (4.6 a game), was sixth nationally in scoring (22.6 points a game) and was named First Team All-American among many other honors. Not a bad start, right?

One fellow basketball player who appears to have taken notice is five-time NBA All-Star Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The two guards recently encountered one another, and they took a photo that Hidalgo has posted to social media. While we don’t know the story behind it, it’s impressive to see nonetheless:

Hopefully, this is the first of many encounters Hidalgo will have with basketball greats during her time with the Irish. Now that Caitlin Clark has turned professional, those who love women’s college basketball can turn their attention to other players deserving of it. Hidalgo definitely is one of those players, and the sooner those who don’t already realize that change their tune, the better.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89