Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers' season came to an end Wednesday with their 113-98 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of their second-round series, and now all eyes turn toward the future.

With that in mind, Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reported that Darius Garland's representation, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, would discuss a potential trade with the team's front office if Donovan Mitchell decides to stay in Cleveland on a long-term contract extension.

The report also noted that "rival executives believe the Cavs will have to seriously evaluate the fit of Mitchell and Garland and ultimately may have to choose one or the other."

Mitchell is under contract for just one more season with a player option for the 2025-26 campaign.

There have been plenty of trade rumors surrounding the five-time All-Star, and everything Cleveland does this offseason will likely revolve around what happens with the go-to option.

On paper, Garland is more of a long-term option for the Cavaliers since he is signed through the 2027-28 season. The front office figures to build around him and Evan Mobley if Mitchell is ultimately traded or decides to go elsewhere, but the equation would change if he returns.

There is something to be said about Mitchell's presence as a ball-dominant guard impacting Garland's overall development and ceiling. Perhaps he would be better fitted somewhere else where he can be the primary option and facilitator, especially since he is still just 24 years old.

Yet he struggled without Mitchell in Wednesday's loss and went 4-of-17 from the field. If the Cavaliers were going to have any chance at an upset win on the road without Mitchell, Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen, they needed a better performance than that from the point guard.

But changes need to be made if Cleveland is going to compete with the likes of the Celtics and other top teams in the Eastern Conference next season and beyond.

Trading Mitchell would be something of a reset. Keeping him and trading Garland could allow the front office to get some win-now pieces in return, which might bring Cleveland a bit closer to the top of the conference.

If nothing else, the Cavaliers will be one of the teams to watch this offseason.

Despite leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to back-to-back playoff appearances, including their first playoff series win without LeBron James since 1993, J.B. Bickerstaff may not return as head coach next season.

Per The Athletic's Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd, Bickerstaff's job is "in serious jeopardy" following the Cavs' season-ending loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Wednesday night.

The report noted a decision on Bickerstaff's future may not be immediate, as the team "is likely to take some time—multiple days—to make a decision."

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski added that Cavs management will have "a lot of conversations on different ways to proceed" heading into the offseason.

It's hard to pin the blame for Cleveland's loss to the Celtics in five games entirely on Bickerstaff. Donovan Mitchell missed the final two games due to a strained left calf. Jarrett Allen hasn't played since Game 4 against the Orlando Magic in the first round because of a bruised rib.

Injuries were one of the defining stories for the 2023-24 Cavaliers. Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley combined to miss 84 games during the regular season. Allen, Georges Niang, Max Strus, Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert were the only players who appeared in at least 65 games.

Despite all of the injury issues, the Cavs were able to finish fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 48-34 record.

As the Cavs move into the offseason, the biggest question for the franchise is Mitchell's future. He is under contract for two more seasons, with the second year being a player option.

Mitchell was asked numerous times during the season about potentially signing an extension, but he's declined to directly answer those questions.

Cavs governor Dan Gilbert told Larry Lage of the Associated Press in March he believes Mitchell will eventually sign an extension:

"We've been talking to him, sure, for the last couple of years about extending this contract. We think he will extend. I think if you listen to him talk, he loves the city. He loves the situation in Cleveland because our players are very young and we're just kind of putting the core together that he's clearly the biggest part of."

Even though the Cavaliers don't have to trade Mitchell if he doesn't re-sign this summer, it would be extremely risky for the franchise to let him play out next season and possibly lose him for nothing in free agency.

ESPN's Bobby Marks noted Mitchell is eligible for a four-year, $208 million extension starting July 6.

While the Mitchell saga will be the biggest focus in Cleveland, Bickerstaff's future is suddenly something else that is going to be under the microscope.

The 45-year-old Bickerstaff just finished his fifth season with the Cavaliers. He is one of the more successful head coaches in Cavs' history, ranking fifth in games (329) and wins (170).

Bickerstaff signed an extension with the Cavs early in the 2021-22 season that runs through the 2026-27 campaign.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will likely be without All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell for Wednesday's Game 5 matchup against the Boston Celtics.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Mitchell is set to miss his second straight game with a calf strain.

Mitchell was injured late in the Cavs' Game 3 loss to Boston and sat out their Game 4 loss. The Celtics can eliminate Cleveland with a win in Boston on Wednesday night.

Mitchell was stellar over the first three games of the series, averaging 31.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists while shooting 53.3 percent from three-point range. The Cavs offense managed to put up 102 points without Mitchell in Game 4, but that required an uncharacteristic 30-point effort from Darius Garland.

Cleveland is already without center Jarrett Allen, who has not played against the Celtics due to a rib injury.

The Celtics will be overwhelming favorites holding homecourt heading into Game 5, so it's possible we've already seen the last of Mitchell this season.

Moreover, he may have played his last game in a Cavs uniform. Cleveland is expected to offer Mitchell a max contract extension this offseason but would almost certainly have to explore trading him if he declines. Mitchell can become a free agent after the 2024-25 season.

There is a familiar face in the building at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for Game 4 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics.

Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor reported that LeBron James was expected to be in attendance for Monday night's game. The Athletic's Jason Lloyd seconded that report and mentioned that the Kardashians will also be in the house.

After the game began, James was seen sitting courtside with his wife Savannah.

James spent 11 years with the Cavaliers and led the team to their only championship in franchise history, but on Monday, he'll be enjoying the game as a fan.

While the Cavs have memories of rooting for James during his time in Cleveland, Celtics fans have plenty of experience doing quite the opposite. During James' time with the Cavaliers, he faced off against Boston five times in the playoffs, losing two of those series and winning the other three.

James also faced the Celtics twice in the playoffs while with the Heat.

The Cavs will look to impress the best player in their franchise's history on Monday with a win over Boston. Cleveland stole Game 2 on the road but dropped Game 3 to go down 2-1 in the series.

The task of taking down the top seed will be more difficult in Game 4 as the Cavaliers will be without star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, who will miss the game with a left calf strain. Mitchell has averaged 31.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists so far in the series.

Boston will look to spoil James' homecoming by handling business on the road. The Celtics have a chance to gain some insurance and go up 3-1 before returning to Boston to possibly close out the series.

Game 4 tips off at 7 p.m. ET on TNT.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell is considered day-to-day with his calf injury, head coach JB Bickerstaff said after Monday's loss to the Boston Celtics.

The update comes after Mitchell missed Game 4 due to a left calf strain, as ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski first reported. The Celtics hold a 3-1 series lead ahead of Wednesday's Game 5.

Defeating the top-seeded Celtics even at full strength was a daunting task for the Cavaliers, so the latest injury is quite the blow.

Mitchell has been brilliant throughout the playoffs and has carried the team's offense for extended stretches. He poured in 50 points in Game 6 of Cleveland's first-round series against the Orlando Magic and then helped close out the No. 5 seed with 39 points, nine rebounds and five assists in Game 7.

It has been more of the same against the Celtics.

The Louisville product averaged 31.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.0 steals while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 53.3 percent from deep through the first three games against the Celtics and is a primary reason Boston isn't going for a sweep in Monday's contest.

Frankly, this all but ends the Cavaliers' realistic chances at advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Even if Mitchell returns for Game 5, Cleveland likely isn't going to win three straight with two of the contests on the road against this loaded Celtics team.

Boston didn't lose three games in a row a single time all season.

It has been three years since Donovan Mitchell played in the second round of the playoffs, and he had one thing on his mind as his Cleveland Cavaliers took the floor for Sunday's Game 7 against the Orlando Magic.

"I'm tired of losing in the first round," Mitchell said after leading his team to a 106-94 victory, per ESPN's Kendra Andrews.

"You work too hard. We work too hard. That was my mindset ... for me, just be in attack mode. I'm battling through what I'm battling through, but I could battle through it and figure it out, or rehab it for the next three or four months. That's where I'm at mentally."

The Cavaliers lost in the first round to the New York Knicks last year. Mitchell was on the Utah Jazz before that, and they lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the first round in 2022.

Yet the five-time All-Star put his team on his back Sunday and finished with 39 points, nine rebounds and five steals despite playing through a knee injury and a slow start. The result was Cleveland's first playoff-series victory without LeBron James since 1993.

Mitchell went to the second round twice during his tenure with the Jazz. Those first-round victories came in 2018 and 2021, although they were followed by losses in the second round.

It will take quite the effort to avoid that fate for the third time in his career, as the Cavaliers will now face the top-seeded Boston Celtics with a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals hanging in the balance.

Boston will not be at full strength with Kristaps Porziņģis potentially sidelined for the series, but Cleveland will still have its hands full. At least it can take solace knowing Mitchell can carry the team when necessary.

After defeating the Orlando Magic in Game 7 by the final of 106-94 on Sunday, the Cleveland Cavaliers advanced to the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs.

The Cavaliers, who have largely been defined by LeBron James throughout their history, secured the organization's first playoff series victory without James on the roster since 1993.

Cleveland was led by Donovan Mitchell this time, with the five-time All-Star shooting guard pouring in 89 points and nine assists throughout the final two games of the series.

The Cavaliers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead over Orlando at home before dropping two consecutive road contests to tie the series. Both teams secured wins in Game 5 and Game 6, setting up a series-defining Game 7 in Cleveland.

The Magic started off strong on Sunday, jumping out to a 47-29 lead just over halfway through the second quarter. Cleveland was able to erase the deficit after halftime due to the heroics of Mitchell as well as Caris LeVert, who finished as the team's second-leading scorer with 15 points off the bench.

By earning a win after trailing by 18 points, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff's team completed the largest Game 7 comeback win by a team since the 1997-98 season.

The series victory was impressive for an organization that has struggled to remain successful without James. He helped the Cavaliers earn four straight trips to the NBA Finals from 2015 through 2018, including an iconic 2016 championship.

When James left the team to join the Miami Heat in 2010, Cleveland finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference at 19-63. After he departed the organization once again to join the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018, the Cavaliers recorded another 19-63 season.

Now, the team is trending in the right direction with Mitchell and a young core that includes Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Isaac Okoro.

The Cavaliers will face a tougher task in the second round, as they'll battle with a Boston Celtics team that finished the regular season with a 64-18 record before beating the Miami Heat in five games during the opening round of the postseason.

After trailing by as many as 18 points in the first half, the Cleveland Cavaliers stormed back to defeat the Orlando Magic 106-94 in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday.

Cavs star guard Donovan Mitchell put on a show for the home fans at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and spearheaded the victory for Cleveland, putting the team on his back with 39 points, 24 of which came in the second half. No other player on the team scored more than 15 points. Mitchell added nine rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block in the win.

The Cavs needed Mitchell to be at his best to stave off a strong performance by Magic forward Paolo Banchero, who led Orlando with 38 points and 16 rebounds. The second-year star got off to a hot start with 24 points in the first half, but Cleveland stepped up its defensive effort on him over the final two quarters.

Fans on social media were delighted by the duel between Mitchell and Banchero, but it was Mitchell who earned a massive amount of praise for leading the Cavs to their first playoff series win since 2018:

Mitchell's stellar game came after he scored 50 points in a Game 6 loss to Orlando. He was clearly motivated to help Cleveland avoid another early playoff exit, and he will need to maintain that level of intensity as the postseason continues.

The Cavs will now move on to face the top-seeded Boston Celtics in the second round starting on Tuesday, which won't be an easy matchup following their tough seven-game battle with the Magic. However, if Mitchell keeps playing this way, Cleveland could pull off a shocking upset.