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Amid reports of Donovan Mitchell's growing frustration with his Cleveland Cavaliers teammates, he recently expressed contentment with his situation. However, NBA fans aren't buying the star shooting guard's comments.
Mitchell missed the final two games of the Cavaliers' second-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics due to a left calf strain. Cleveland dropped both contests, losing the series 4-1 on Wednesday.
The defeat marked Mitchell's seventh consecutive Round 1 or 2 postseason exit, dating back to his time with the Utah Jazz. The five-time All-Star has yet to make a conference finals appearance since getting drafted in 2017.
Shortly after his latest early playoff dispatch, Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor reported that Mitchell "grew frustrated with some teammates' lack of maturity, focus, playoff-level readiness and willingness to listen."
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On Thursday, Mitchell reacted to the report on X/Twitter, saying he was "sick of" such rumors.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski issued a follow-up report on "NBA Countdown," noting that he reached out to Donovan Mitchell directly. The 27-year-old reportedly told Wojnarowski that he is "happy in Cleveland" and has "been happy since [he] arrived" there in 2022.
Nonetheless, NBA fans on X are still anticipating Mitchell to force his way out of Ohio.
"I can guarantee he is lying. He said the same about Utah. ... And Cleveland is a massive downgrade. He is gaslighting you all," @wildmayan said.
"Yeah, right, no one believes him," @BronWorld said.
"Yeah, buddy, I'm sure," @sixersgeo said.
"No one is happy in Cleveland," @Horseshoe_Pod said.
"That’s what he's gonna say until he's outta there, LMAO," @fxnkwolf said.
Donovan Mitchell reportedly appreciative of Cavaliers' progress but not satisfied
While reporting on his conversation with Donovan Mitchell, Adrian Wojnarowski added that the star shooting guard appreciates the Cavaliers' development this year. However, Mitchell reportedly isn't satisfied with their season's final result.
Cleveland's Round 2 appearance marked its first since 2018, superstar forward LeBron James' final season with the franchise. According to Wojnarowski, Mitchell "thinks his Cavs team made progress" but is "not in this to go to the second round."
It remains to be seen what moves the Cavaliers will make this offseason to increase their chances of making a deep playoff run with Mitchell. Rumors are circulating about the possibility of them trading starters Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen.
However, Mitchell has a $37.1 million player option for the 2025-26 season that he can opt out of to become a free agent next offseason. So, Cleveland will likely do all it can to convince him to sign a contract extension to avoid risking losing him for nothing.
