Cleveland Cavaliers: Donovan Mitchell Meant No ‘Disrespect’ to Orlando Magic With Truthful Take After Series Win

Cleveland Cavaliers Star Donovan Mitchell is Focused on the Main Goal

For Mitchell, there’s no point for him to spend much time celebrating the series win against Paolo Banchero and the Magic when their ultimate mission is far from complete.

Via the Associated Press (h/t ESPN)

“I don’t mean this disrespectful, but it doesn’t really mean much,” Mitchell said. “We didn’t come in just to win the first round. We accomplished one goal, now we have to do it again. That’s the mindset.”

Indeed, Mitchell looked like a man on a mission in the first round, especially in the final two games of the Orlando series. In Game 6, he exploded for 50 points on 22/36 shooting from the field and 3/6 shooting from the free throw line, albeit in a 103-96 loss. While that was deflating on the part of Mitchell, especially, he maintained his focus and put up another strong performance in Game 7 at home, dropping 39 points on 11/27 shooting from the floor and 15/17 from the free throw line while also grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out five assists in a 106-94 victory.

The Cavs are going to need more of that from Mitchell in the second round where Cleveland will be facing off against the top seed in the Eastern Conference in the form of the Boston Celtics.

Mitchell’s Future With the Cavaliers

While the Cavs continue to do battle in the playoffs and are preparing for a huge showdown against the powerful Celtics, some are already starting to wonder what hte future holds for Mitchell in The Land. Mitchell, who landed in Cleveland via a trade from the Utah Jazz back in 2022 that had the Cavs giving up Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, and Ochai Agbaji, has one more guaranteed year remaining in his current deal.

He has a player option worth $37.096 million for the 2025-26 NBA season, which he will have to decide on down the road. Will the Cavs give him an extension and will he even sign such an offer? Those remain to be seen, and the Cavs’ and Mitchell’s decisions to that end could largely hinge on the outcome of their current ride in the playoffs.