Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell reiterates love of Cleveland, wants to ‘play here as long as I can’

Cleveland has embraced Donovan Mitchell. Turns out, the feeling hasn’t changed on his end, either.

Mitchell reiterated his commitment to the Cavs in an interview with The Athletic, making it clear he’s not looking for the next stop anytime soon.

“I love Cleveland,” Mitchell said. “I’ve said it before. I want to play here for as long as I can.”

That lines up with where things stand contractually. Mitchell is signed through the 2027-28 season and holds a player option in 2027. The Cavs, naturally, would like to get ahead of that and lock him in beyond it.

He sounds open to it.

“The goal is to win, as long as we’re continuing to win at the highest level,” Mitchell said. “But I love it. It’s a place that I feel like I can call home. I feel good. My fiancée feels good about it.”

That last part matters more than a lot of people ever admit.

Cleveland has given Mitchell a stage and a roster capable of winning. Even in a season that featured its share of injuries, the Cavs still reached 52 wins and finished fourth in the East, one of the better marks in franchise history.

Mitchell led the way, as usual, pouring in 27.9 points per game and serving as the engine behind it all.

Now comes the part that tends to define everything.

The Cavs open the playoffs Saturday against the Toronto Raptors. If this partnership is going to stretch deep into the future, this is where it starts to mean a little more.

Mitchell has said all the right things. Next step is backing it up when it matters most.