Latest news with #DonovanMitchell
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ex-NBA Star Kendrick Perkins Sends Brutal Message to Donovan Mitchell on Playoff Struggles
Ex-NBA Star Kendrick Perkins Sends Brutal Message to Donovan Mitchell on Playoff Struggles originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Cleveland Cavaliers hitched their wagon to Donovan Mitchell last season when they fired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff for him. Advertisement They hired Kenny Atkinson to replace him in hopes of convincing the former Utah Jazz star to sign an extension. He eventually re-upped with Cleveland and they clearly believed he was the guy who could lead them to the promised land. Less than a year later, the Cavs suffered another disappointing playoff exit and with such an expensive roster there aren't many additions that can be made. This means that unless the roster magically ascends to true championship contention, the only way forward is to retool or blow the team up and start over. May 9, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during game three of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Mitchell is statistically one of the best playoff performers to ever play basketball, so it's hard to blame him for his teams' shortcomings in the postseason. Advertisement However, he has put himself into unwanted company by becoming one of the longest tenured stars in NBA history to never reach the conference finals. Retired NBA star Kendrick Perkins ripped into Mitchell recently, saying, 'A Donovan Mitchell-led team has never been to the conference finals.' The six-time All-Star has reached the playoffs in every year of his playing career, but the second round is the furthest he's gotten. The past few seasons have seen the pressure ratchet up on Philadelphia 76ers' superstar Joel Embiid for not making the conference in his nine-year playing career and now Mitchell is beginning to catch the same heat. Advertisement The only superstar with a longer streak is Chris Paul who finally reached the conference finals with the Houston Rockets in 2018, 13 years into his career. Some of the criticism is unfair, but when you are as great as Mitchell is and consistently have highly seeded teams, the expectation is to win on a grand scale. Until the Cavs finally break through, Mitchell will continue to be scrutinized. Related: Cavs Give Promising Update on Donovan Mitchell's Playoff Status This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley make All-NBA Teams
Cleveland Cavaliers stars Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley were named to an All-NBA team on Friday evening. Mitchell made All-NBA First Team for the first time in his career. Mobley made All-NBA Second Team. It was the first time in Mobley's career that he made an All-NBA Team. This is the third time that two Cavaliers received All-NBA honors in the same season. The other two were Mark Price and Brad Daugherty in 1991-92 and LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in 2014-15. Advertisement Mitchell joined Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Jayson Tatum on All-NBA First Team. All-NBA Second Team was comprised of Mobley, Jalen Brunson, Steph Curry, Anthony Edwards, and James. Darius Garland received one vote for All-NBA Second Team and three votes for All-NBA Third Team, but missed out on making an All-NBA team by a wide margin. Mitchell and Mobley deserved these honors. This was Mitchell's most impressive regular season. He scaled his game back throughout the year to fit into Kenny Atkinson's egalitarian offense. This meant less playing time and a slightly lower usage than the year before. Advertisement That didn't affect Mitchell's counting stats too much. He finished the regular season averaging 24 points, five assists, and 4.5 rebounds on .443/.368/.823 shooting splits. Mitchell also became just the third Cavalier to make All-NBA First Team, joining LeBron James (eight times) and Mark Price (once). Mobley had by far the most successful year of his career. He'll leave the season having made his first All-Star Game, won his first Defensive Player of the Year, and made his first All-NBA team. This is on top of being named to the All-Defensive Team. As impressive as this year was from Mobley, he still has room to grow. He's shown that he has the skills to continue to expand his offensive game to another level. Mobley has the talent and work ethic to turn a weakness like his outside shooting into a strength. It'll be interesting to see what he adds to his game for next season. Advertisement Mobley finished the season averaging 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game on .557/370/.725 shooting splits. With the selection, Mobley became just the fifth Cavalier to receive an All-NBA honor. He joined James (10 times), Price (four times), Mitchell (three times), Daugherty (once), and Irving (once). More from
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Cavaliers 'Open' to Trading Multiple All-Stars After Early Playoff Exit: Report
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. In a major shift from earlier intel, a new report suggests that the Cleveland Cavaliers are apparently receptive to shaking up their roster significantly during the offseason. After nabbing 2025 All-Star selections for guards Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley; finishing with a solid 64-18 regular season record; and capturing the Eastern Conference's top seed, the Cavaliers found themselves shockingly booted in a brisk, five-game second round playoff series by the No. 4-seeded Indiana Pacers, who are currently one game away from the NBA Finals. Chris Fedor recently revealed on the "Wine and Gold" podcast that the Cavaliers might be more amenable to moving on from two of their "core four" players this summer. With a maximum rookie-scale contract extension slated to kick in for Mobley next season, Cleveland is set to find itself in the NBA's punitive second luxury tax apron. "They prefer to keep the core four together and see if they can build around them and find the right pieces around them, and see if there's a viable way to do that, given the limitations that come with being a luxury-tax team and a second-apron team," Fedor said. "In saying that, I think the two untouchables are Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley." Mobley, still just 23, took a major performative leap this past season. In addition to nabbing his inaugural All-Star appearance, the 6-foot-11 USC product was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-NBA and All-Defensive nods. Darius Garland #10 celebrates with Donovan Mitchell #45 Jarrett Allen #31 of the Cleveland Cavaliers after Garland scored against the Golden State Warriors at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on November 05, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. For... Darius Garland #10 celebrates with Donovan Mitchell #45 Jarrett Allen #31 of the Cleveland Cavaliers after Garland scored against the Golden State Warriors at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on November 05, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. For now, the Cavaliers appear committed to retaining him for now. MoreHe's been suiting up at power forward next to Allen at center to form a jumbo-sized frontcourt, but he has thrived in his minutes as a floor-spacing five. More Cleveland Cavaliers News: Lakers Listed as Potential Landing Spot For Cavaliers All-Star "I have been getting the sense that the Cavs would be more willing to entertain and at least consider possibilities for Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland than they have in the past," Fedor said. "Now, that all comes down to it's got to be the right deal." Garland, meanwhile, found a way to effectively coexist alongside Mitchell as a supplemental backcourt ball handler — during the regular season, at least. Garland struggled with a big toe injury throughout the Pacers series. He missed the series' first two games, both home losses. When he did return, Garland's efficacy was limited. The long-term fit of Garland and Mitchell, both undersized guards, remains somewhat questionable — especially on defense. More Cleveland Cavaliers News: With Donovan Mitchell Re-Signing, What's Next in Cleveland? "Nobody that you're going to get back is going to be Darius in terms of pedigree, in terms of talent," Fedor said. "He's a two-time All-Star for a reason. He's a max-contract player for a reason." The 25-year-old averaged 20.6 points on .472/.401/.878 shooting splits, 6.7 assists, and 2.9 rebounds while suiting up for 75 healthy contests. "He's one of the best young point guards in the Eastern Conference for a reason," Fedor added. "So are you going to get that back? No. But can you reconfigure your roster? Can you restructure your salary cap by using Darius and find multiple players?" More Cleveland Cavaliers News: Cavaliers Trade Proposal Has Darius Garland Land With Surprising Rival Cavaliers Star Donovan Mitchell Catches Massive Shade Over Playoff Failures Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert Channeling Massive Comeback With LeBron James as Fuel for Pacers Series Deficit Cavaliers Head Coach Reveals Massive Regret That May Have Led to Game 2 Loss For more Cleveland Cavaliers and general NBA news and rumors, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Which Teams Could Trade For Darius Garland Or Jarrett Allen?
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 07: Darius Garland #10 and Jarrett Allen #31 of the Cleveland Cavaliers ... More look on during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Capital One Arena on February 07, 2025 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) The 2025 offseason is expected to be a busy one, and one of the teams that could be an active player in all the mayhem is the Cleveland Cavaliers. After their best season since LeBron James left town, the Cavaliers fizzled out in the second round of the playoffs for the second time in as many years, bringing back concerns about the overlapping skillsets of their four best players. Individually, Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen are fantastic players. The four of them finished in the top 20 this season in Estimated Plus-Minus (per Dunks & Threes). Unfortunately, Garland's skillset clashes with Mitchell's, and ditto for Mobley/Allen. This leaves them vulnerable to more balanced teams like the Indiana Pacers. Plus, the Cavaliers are on track to be a second apron team in 2025-26. These conditions have reportedly made the team open to the prospect of trading Garland and Allen. But if they are actually available, which teams should pursue them? And what would those trades look like? Even if they break up their core four, a tandem of Mitchell/Mobley is still potent enough to compete for titles (particularly in an Eastern Conference that will be powered down with Jayson Tatum and Damian Lillard set to miss most/all of next year). So, in potential trades involving Garland/Allen, Cleveland should be requesting players who can amplify these two (along with some draft capital). In this case, the Cavaliers should be looking for two-way wings/forwards, a backup big to offer Mobley some relief, and a secondary creator to fill some of the void left by Garland. While we won't go into every single possible deal that could take place this summer, we will go into some examples of trades featuring Garland, Allen, and one including both the All-Star caliber performers. The most obvious destination for Allen would be the Los Angeles Lakers. After trading Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic, the Lakers are in desperate need of a pick-and-roll partner for Doncic, who can also be an enforcer in the paint. A potential trade could look something like this: Jarrett Allen Trade Idea. Rui Hachimura isn't an elite defender, but he has graded out as a positive in that area over the last three years. Meanwhile, on offense, he's a good shooter (41.3%) and finisher around the rim (66.5%). He's also still young (27) and pretty battle-tested (26 playoff games in the last three years). Overall, Hachimura is a clear starting-caliber forward in this league and a nice frontcourt fit next to Mobley. Dalton Knecht gives the Cavaliers a bigger and younger version of Sam Merrill (Knecht is an inch taller and five years younger), which will enable the team to let him walk in free agency this summer without a worry. They would also net some draft capital in this deal with the Lakers' 2026 first-round pick. As for Garland, the defensively brilliant (2nd in defensive rating) but offensively-challenged (third in offensive rating) Orlando Magic could be a prime candidate for his services. In a perfect world, the Cavaliers would get Jalen Suggs in return for Garland. But it is hard to imagine the Magic would be willing to part ways with someone so deeply embedded in their core. So, just in case they aren't willing to include him in this deal, here is an alternative idea: Darius Garland Trade Idea. Last year was a down one for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, but he's still one of the best two-way role players of the last decade (he was also quietly much better after January 1). He'd be the perfect guy to share a backcourt with Mitchell. Anthony Black didn't have the sophomore surge that his advocates had hoped for, but he's still a great perimeter defender (80th percentile DEF EPM) with plenty of time to develop (21 years old) into the secondary ball handler Cleveland will need if Garland leaves. Although, if he is the only true facilitator the Cavaliers get back in these trades, they will really need to prioritize re-signing Ty Jerome in free agency. Goga Bitadze isn't a household name, but he is one of the best cost-controlled backup bigs in the NBA right now. His game is simple, yet effective. Bitadze sets hard screens, rolls to the rim, finishes layup passes, blocks shots, and is always in the right position on defense. The analytics love him, as he's placed in at least the 93rd percentile in DEF EPM and the 81st percentile in EPM in each of the last two years. The two first round picks from Orlando will give Cleveland three overall from the two trades. Jaylon Tyson and Jett Howard are included here to make the money work. The Dallas Mavericks would be another interesting trade partner for Garland. With Kyrie Irving set to miss most of next season with a torn ACL, the Mavericks will need someone to set the table for Davis, Dereck Lively II, and Cooper Flagg. And even when Irving comes back, lineups with him and Garland will still be tenable because of how much size they boast on the front line. Plus, they have Daniel Gafford and a cavalcade of wings/forwards to include in a trade. If one team were to acquire Garland and Allen in one fell swoop, the Magic would make the most sense. They are a playoff-caliber team that is in need of an upgrade at point guard and center, and a starting five of Garland/Caldwell-Pope/Franz Wagner/Paolo Banchero/Allen would be pretty formidable in the East (they would certainly need to part ways with Suggs in this case). Along with Suggs, the Magic would need to give 2 or 3 first round picks, Black, at least one of their three centers, and some combination of salary filler/young players Cleveland can try to take a flier on. Some other teams that could be interested in one of these two studs are the Houston Rockets (Garland), Phoenix Suns (Allen), Brooklyn Nets (Garland), Boston Celtics (Allen), Sacramento Kings (Garland), Milwaukee Bucks (Allen), Chicago Bulls (Allen), Miami Heat (Garland), and Toronto Raptors (Allen). Another alternative for the Cavaliers is to just trade one of those two players. If that's the route they choose to go, their best bet would be to trade Garland. He's the better player, which makes him the better trade asset, and Allen is on the much more team-friendly deal (Garland's average annual value is 39.4 million over the next four years, and Allen's is only 20 million next year before turning into 30.2 over the following three). In any event, the Cavaliers have some huge decisions to make this offseason – the kind that could completely alter the landscape of the league – making them one of the most interesting teams to monitor over the next few months.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Anthony Edwards Named to All-NBA Second Team
On Friday, the NBA closed out its awards season by announcing the three All-NBA teams. For the second straight season, Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards was named to the All-NBA Second Team. Edwards becomes just the second Timberwolves player to make an All-NBA team in consecutive seasons since Garnett did so in seven consecutive seasons from 1999 to 2005. Ant joins Garnett (x8), Sam Cassell, Kevin Love (x2), and Karl-Anthony Towns as the only Wolves players to make an All-NBA team. Advertisement Edwards had an outstanding season, averaging 27.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists while leading the league in made 3-pointers with 811. Has has led the Timberwolves to the Playoffs for the fourth straight year and the Western Conference Finals for the second straight year. Ant is joined on the Second Team by Jalen Brunson, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Evan Mobley. Among active players, Edwards is one of nine players to make multiple All-NBA teams before turning 24 years old. The other eight are LeBron James, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, and Luka Dončić. Edwards finished with the sixth highest number of All-NBA votes, coming up 96 points shy of Donovan Mitchell and the final spot First Team. All 100 voters selected Edwards for one of the three All-NBA teams. Advertisement Unsurprisingly, recently named MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a unanimous selection for First Team All-NBA for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Jalen Williams was also selected, making it onto the Third Team. The Timberwolves face off against the Thunder in Game 3 of the Western Conference on Saturday, looking to avoid falling down 3-0. The game begins at 7:30 PM CT on ABC.
