Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell Will Miss Game 5 vs. Celtics

According to NBA insiders Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell will miss Game 5 against the Boston Celtics. 

Mitchell is still dealing with a left calf injury. 

Cavaliers All-Star Donovan Mitchell is expected to miss tonight's potential elimination Game 5 vs. Boston, sources tell me and @joevardon. Mitchell is dealing with a calf strain. pic.twitter.com/mdp5As2FVI

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 15, 2024

The Cavaliers are down 3-1 to the Celtics. Mitchell is averaging 31.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists in the series while shooting 51.5% from the field, 53.3% from beyond the arc and 78.6% from the free-throw line. 

Mitchell averaged 26.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists during the regular season while shooting 46.2% from the field, 36.8% from beyond the arc and 86.5% from the free-throw line. 

Mitchell has career averages of 24.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists with the Utah Jazz and Cavaliers. He scored a career-high 71 points last season against the Chicago Bulls. 

Mitchell can sign an extension for up to four years and around $200 million this offseason. He has a player option worth $37 million for the 2025-26 season.

Mitchell can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2025 if he declines that player option. 

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, there is a growing belief that the Cavaliers will be forced to trade Mitchell if an extension isn’t reached. 

“As discussed here on multiple occasions, Mitchell will be entering the final guaranteed year of his current contract next season if there’s no extension, leading to a growing belief among rival teams that the Cavaliers will be forced to trade Mitchell in coming months if they cannot come to terms with him an extension,” Stein wrote. 

According to NBA insider Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, Mitchell could force his way off the Cavaliers this offseason. Mitchell, one of the best scorers in the NBA, has the Miami Heat “high on his list.”

“The Cavaliers are still competing, but many in NBA circles believe that, barring a title, Mitchell will force his way out of Cleveland this offseason,” Pincus wrote. “Of all the NBA guards, Mitchell may be the closest to Heat legend and Hall-of-Famer Dwyane Wade. He will be 28 before next season (seven years younger than Jimmy Butler). He has a strong relationship with Bam Adebayo and is said (by multiple NBA insiders) to have Miami high on his list of destinations.”