Donovan Mitchell Injury History

Donovan Mitchell is the starting shooting guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is a five-time NBA All-Star (2020–2024) and made the All-NBA Second Team in 2023. Mitchell, also called ‘Spida’, is widely regarded as one of the top shooting guards in the league. Born on September 7, 1996, in Elmsford, New York, Mitchell played college basketball at Louisville from 2015 to 2017. In his first college season, Mitchell averaged just 7.4 points off the bench. However, in his second year, he made a major leap and averaged 15.6 points. This performance earned him a spot on the All-ACC First Team, leading him to declare for the NBA Draft.

In the 2017 NBA Draft, he was selected 13th overall by the Denver Nuggets but was immediately traded to the Utah Jazz. Many call it one of the biggest draft-day trade blunders in NBA history, as Mitchell emerged as a star. In his rookie season, he scored 41 points in a single game, the most by a Jazz rookie in their franchise history. He led the Utah Jazz to the playoffs just in his rookie season and even upset the Oklahoma City Thunder 4-2 in the first round. Mitchell scored 38 points in the series-clinching Game 6, the highest points a rookie scored in a series-win game since 1980. After five successful seasons with the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers on September 1, 2022. Since joining Cleveland, he has helped the team make back-to-back playoff appearances in 2023 and 2024. In 2024, Cleveland won its first playoff series without LeBron James since 1993.

Donovan Mitchell’s Injury History

Donovan Mitchell was healthy in his first three seasons of the NBA but has faced several recurring injuries since the 2020-2021 season. These injuries resulted in him missing several key stretches of games each season. Below is an account of Donovan Mitchell’s injury history in the NBA:

Major injuries Donovan Mitchell sustained in the NBA

Right Ankle Injury (April-May 2021)

Donovan Mitchell’s first major NBA injury occurred on April 16, 2021, in a game against the Indiana Pacers. Spida was attempting to block a pass in transition defense, but he landed awkwardly and rolled his right ankle. The ankle roll was so severe that he could not put weight on his right leg at all and had to be helped off the court by his teammate Royce O’Neal and medical staff.

As reported by ESPN, the initial X-rays were negative, and the MRI confirmed there was no structural damage. It was only diagnosed as a low ankle sprain. Eventually, Donovan Mitchell missed the final 16 regular-season games due to this right ankle injury and Jazz went 10-6 during his absence, as per the data on Basketball Reference. Though there were fears that he might miss the entire 2021 playoffs, he only missed Game 1 of the first-round series against Memphis, which Utah lost. However, Donovan Mitchell finally returned in Game 2, and the Jazz went on to win the series.

Concussion (January 2022)

Donovan Mitchell was inadvertently elbowed in the head by Lakers guard Russell Westbrook on January 17, 2022, in a Jazz vs Lakers game. Although Mitchell finished the game and spoke to reporters afterwards, his symptoms worsened during the team flight to Salt Lake City. The headache became unbearable, and severe nausea set in which prompted Mitchell to realize something was wrong.

By the next day, he was diagnosed with a concussion. As reported by the NBA's website, Mitchell described the concussion as a deeply troubling experience. "I got to a point where I was a little nervous," Mitchell admitted. "I wasn’t using my phone, playing Xbox, or even leaving the house. The headaches and nausea were really bad." Due to the NBA's concussion protocol, Mitchell missed eight games. During his absence, the Utah Jazz struggled, managing only a 2-6 record.

Left Knee Bone Bruise (March 2024)

Donovan Mitchell finished the game even after experiencing discomfort in his left knee against the Chicago Bulls on February 28, 2024. As per ESPN, the injury was later diagnosed as a bone bruise, and he required a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection to aid recovery. This sidelined him for 7 games, during which the Cavaliers posted a 3-4 record, as per Basketball Reference game log data.

Nasal Fracture (March 2024)

Shortly after returning from his bone bruise knee injury, Donovan Mitchell was injured again on March 16, 2024, in a game against the Houston Rockets. An opposing player’s elbow fractured his nose which forced him to leave the game. Spectrum News 1 reported that a medical procedure was performed to realign the fracture. The recovery from this procedure took 10 days to recover as Mitchell went on to miss an additional 6 games.

Left Calf Strain (May 2024)

Injuries during the playoffs are always gut-wrenching for players and fans. In the 2024 playoffs, it was Donovan Mitchell who faced this harsh fate as he suffered a left calf strain during the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics. The injury occurred in the closing minutes of Game 3 when the Cavaliers were already trailing 2-1 in the series.

As per AP News, Donovon Mitchell and the Cavaliers’ medical team spent the next two days providing round-the-clock treatment to try and get him back on the court. Unfortunately, Mitchell was unable to return in time and missed the crucial games that followed. Without Mitchell, the Cavaliers lost both Game 4 and Game 5 and got eliminated from the series.

Also read: Donovan Mitchell Playoff History