Following the Cleveland Cavaliers' playoff exit, reports emerged suggesting that Donovan Mitchell was frustrated with his teammates' maturity and lack of playoff readiness. Mitchell has since taken to social media to address these rumors, claiming they are "cap."
The Cleveland Cavaliers' quest for an NBA championship ended abruptly in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Wednesday, as they were eliminated by the Boston Celtics. Following the disappointing playoff exit, a report from Cleveland.com suggested that four-time NBA All-Star Donovan Mitchell had grown frustrated with some teammates' lack of maturity, focus, playoff-level readiness, and willingness to listen.
The report fueled speculation that Mitchell could have played his final game in a Cavaliers uniform, as he has a player option for the 2025-26 season and is set to earn an estimated $35.4 million during the 2024-25 season.
However, on Thursday, Mitchell took to X, the company formerly known as Twitter, to debunk the idea that he was irritated with his teammates. "Yeah aight [cap] I'm sick of y'all sometimes!," he wrote.
Mitchell has not publicly commented on his plans beyond this year. In March, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert expressed his belief that Mitchell would sign a contract extension with the team. "We’ve been talking to him, sure, for the last couple of years about extending this contract," Gilbert said in an interview with The Associated Press. "We think he will extend. I think if you listen to him talk, he loves the city."
Mitchell took a more measured approach when he responded to Gilbert's comments. "I got a lot of things to focus on outside of that right now to be honest," he told reporters at the time.
According to the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, Mitchell is eligible to sign a four-year extension this summer, worth an estimated $200 million.
"I’ll handle that when it comes," Mitchell said in late March in reference to extension talks.
Cleveland acquired Mitchell in a blockbuster trade shortly before the 2022-23 season. The team has shown promise, but their latest playoff exit has sparked some speculation about the job security of head coach JB Bickerstaff, who has been at the helm for the past five seasons.
Notably, Ohio native and former Cavaliers superstar LeBron James returned to Cleveland earlier this week and sat courtside during Game 4, although Mitchell did not play in that game due to injury. James led the Cavs to their first NBA championship in franchise history in 2016.
The Cavaliers' playoff exit marks the end of a promising season, but the team has shown potential. Mitchell's future with the team remains uncertain, but he has denied reports of frustration with his teammates. The Cavaliers will now look ahead to the off-season, where they will evaluate their roster and make decisions that will shape their future.
