Report: Donovan Mitchell Was Aggravated By Some Of JB Bickerstaff’s Tactics And Strategies

According to NBA reporter Jason Lloyd of The Athletic, Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell was aggravated by some of JB Bickerstaff’s tactics and strategies.

The Cavaliers fired Bickerstaff on Thursday (5/23).

“Yes, Donovan Mitchell was one of those aggravated by some of Bickerstaff’s tactics and strategies,” Lloyd wrote. “He wasn’t alone, but a locker room follows its star. If Mitchell had Bickerstaff’s back, everyone else would fall in line. When he didn’t, the others fell into that line, too.”

Bickerstaff went 170-159 in the regular season and 6-11 in the postseason with the Cavaliers, who lost to the Boston Celtics in the second round of this year’s playoffs in five games.

Mitchell, one of the most explosive scorers in the NBA, missed Games 4 and 5 of the Cavaliers-Celtics series because of a left hamstring injury. 

“I heard complaints that Bickerstaff was too hands on, that he wanted to be in control of everything at practices and shootarounds,” Lloyd wrote. “Players grumbled about playing time, either too much or too little. Again, all fairly ordinary and pedantic. The most damning criticism, and one that sticks, is the second-half fade most of his teams here experienced. Injuries can be blamed for part of it, but he has to wear that one.”

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

The 27-year-old Mitchell is under contract for next season and has a $37 million player option for 2025-26. He is eligible to sign a four-year, $208 million extension this summer.

If Mitchell doesn’t sign an extension with the Cavaliers this offseason, the thought is that Cleveland will look to trade him before free agency in the summer of 2025.

If Mitchell becomes a free agent in 2025, he is eligible to sign for a max of five years and $269.9 million with the team that holds his Bird rights (the Cavaliers now) or four years, $200.1 million with a new team.

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.