Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell is out for Sunday night's home game against the Charlotte Hornets for rest, according to the team's official injury report.

Mitchell is averaging 24.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists through 14 starts.

His absence will make it more difficult for the Cavaliers to stretch their season-opening record to 15-0 and mark one of the four best season starts in NBA history.

Mitchell is shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from behind the arc, while contributing 1.5 steals per game on deefense.

Most recently he recorded a season-high 37 points in order to help the Cavaliers open NBA Cup group play with a 144-126 win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday.

Mitchell currently leads the Cavaliers with a 30.3 usage percentage. Both Caris LeVert and Ty Jerome will likely receive more minutes in order to make up for his absence.

LeVert, who has been leading the Cavs' bench with 12.4 points per game through 12 appearances, could get the nod to start on Monday against the Hornets.

Mitchell suffered a lingering left knee injury that visibly limited him during the second half of the 2023-24 season. He appeared in just 55 games during the campaign.

After coming on and off the active roster sporadically since the 2024 All-Star break, Mitchell returned for the postseason only to miss the final two contests of the Cavaliers' six-game series loss to the Boston Celtics with a strained left calf in the second round.

The Cavaliers could hope giving the star guard a chance to rest early in the season will prevent similar limitations this season.

The day off will also give Mitchell the chance to return rested to face the defending champion Boston Celtics on the road as NBA Cup play resumes on Tuesday. Mitchell heads into the contest having averaged 29.6 points through 16 career starts against the Celtics.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are still rolling.

They downed the Philadelphia 76ers 114-106 on the road on Wednesday to remain undefeated and improve to 13-0 on the season.

Darius Garland, the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, led the way with 25 points, six assists and five boards while Donovan Mitchell was one assist shy of a triple-double with 23 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists.

The 76ers were without all three of their stars, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George, but still put up a solid effort. Rookie Jared McCain had the best game of his career so far with 34 points and 10 assists, proving he can be a valuable contributor moving forward.

After yet another win, fans hyped up the Cavs' great start to the season.

11 points in 90 seconds. 😮‍💨 #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/5B5GX5ttVA

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) November 14, 2024

NBA teams to start a season better than the 2024-25 Cavs:

2016 Warriors
2003 Mavericks
1994 Rockets
1958 Celtics

That's it. pic.twitter.com/jaHRxypqaT

— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 14, 2024

That makes 13 in a row! #Cavs #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/5i2IdXodjh

— Emmett Golden (@egoldie80) November 14, 2024

https://twitter.com/Jaydenn2356/status/1856890742725054957

Tonight vs the Sixers:

Donovan Mitchell:
23 PTS
13 REB (TIES CAREER HIGH)
9 AST

Darius Garland:
25 PTS
6 AST
5 REB
10-16 FG

The Cavs are the 6th team in NBA history to start a season 13-0!#LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/kBrW7z04P0

— CavsMuse (4/16) (@CavsMuse) November 14, 2024

Cavs been hoopin’ hoopin’

— Mac Milli (@Mac_Million) November 14, 2024

The Cleveland Cavaliers are now the 6th team in NBA history to start a regular season 13-0. @cavs #letemknow #cavsnation #undefeated pic.twitter.com/0zyvYFfBw2

— Big Matty Groves (@TheRealDayWu) November 14, 2024

Man these @cavs are unbelievable and fun to watch!! 13-0!!

— Harvey O (@HarveyOwen) November 14, 2024

These Cavs just find a way to win. #LetEmKnow

— Ash🦋 (@ashley_H_1112) November 14, 2024

Cavs stay undefeated! 82-0 still in play boys!

— Buckeye BIZ (@BuckeyeB1Z) November 14, 2024

While the Cavs' 13-0 start is outstanding, they'd have to win 11 more games to tie the record for the best start to a season, which belongs to the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors who won 24 in a row. However, Cleveland is just two wins away from tying the second-best start to a season, the 1993-94 Houston Rockets' 15-0 start.

The Cavaliers should be able to stay undefeated over their next two games as they'll face the Chicago Bulls and the Charlotte Hornets, but they'll get one of their biggest tests of the season next week when they play the Boston Celtics on the road.

Isaac Okoro will forever be the answer to a trivia question as the subject of Adrian Wojnarowski's final report as ESPN's senior NBA insider, and the Cleveland Cavaliers forward had some fun with that ahead of Wednesday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

As ESPN's Nick DePaula shared, Okoro paid homage to "The Final Woj Bomb" with his HOLO PEs:

EXCLUSIVE: Cavs forward Isaac Okoro is honoring “The Final Woj Bomb” with his sneakers tonight 💣@IsaacOkoro303’s newest HOLO PEs are inspired by Adrian Wojnarowski’s final transaction tweet, just before @WojESPN retired from an iconic journalism career spanning 37 years. https://t.co/oKc9XXsyn3 pic.twitter.com/0pGTiEVlbT

— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) November 14, 2024

On Sept. 14, Wojnarowski reported the Cavaliers and Okoro agreed to a new three-year, $38 million deal. Shortly after that, he announced his retirement as ESPN's NBA insider to become the new general manager for the basketball program at St. Bonaventure, his alma mater:

-30- pic.twitter.com/bFeFL61s1c

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 18, 2024

That announcement drew an amusing reaction from Okoro:

Last Woj Bomb 🤷🏾‍♂️ #LetEmKnow

— IsaacOkoro (@isaacokoro303) September 18, 2024

ESPN agreed to make Shams Charania its new senior NBA insider following Wojnarowski's retirement.

Things have also worked out nicely for the Cavaliers and Okoro in the early going of the 2024-25 campaign, as they are off to a 12-0 start and sit atop the Eastern Conference standings. He is averaging 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists as a secondary player in their rotation.

If he ends up playing a key role in a deep playoff run, it will be a Woj Bomb to remember.

More than two weeks have passed in the 2024-25 NBA season, and the Cleveland Cavaliers have yet to lose a game.

Darius Garland scored 27 points against the Golden State Warriors as the Cavs improved to 10-0 with a 136-117 home win on Friday night.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are the best basketball team in the NBA and it's not remotely close! pic.twitter.com/pevzdXF81W

— DynastyCLE (@DynastyCLE) November 9, 2024

The Cavaliers look absolutely terrifying

— Playoff RB (@RyB_311) November 9, 2024

The Cleveland Cavaliers have tied the franchise record for 130+ point games in a season with five.

They have played 10 games.

— Danny Cunningham (@RealDCunningham) November 9, 2024

The Cleveland Cavaliers have scored 130 points five times this season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers scored 130 points four times ALL OF LAST YEAR.

— Colb (@___Colb___) November 9, 2024

The Cavaliers started out Friday night's game by scoring 20 of the night's first 22 points.

DARIUS GARLAND FROM DEEP.

20-2 OPENING RUN FOR THE UNDEFEATED CAVS 🤯 pic.twitter.com/3sVqAl2iKq

— NBA (@NBA) November 9, 2024

By the end of the first half, the Cavs had taken a 41-point lead while shooting over 65 percent from the field.

This is the most points the Cavaliers have scored in a first half during the play-by-play era (since 1997-98).

It ties the most they've scored in any half. https://t.co/XC1XfDvs7X

— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) November 9, 2024

The @cavs first half...

83 PTS (TIES FRANCHISE RECORD FOR POINTS IN A HALF)

41-POINT LEAD (BIGGEST HALFTIME LEAD IN TEAM HISTORY)

14 3FG (TIED FOR 2ND-MOST IN A HALF IN TEAM HISTORY)#LetEmKnow

— Cavs Notes (@CavsNotes) November 9, 2024

The Cavs got out to their hot start with Donovan Mitchell only contributing seven points.

https://twitter.com/Moose_NBA/status/1855062004668432871

The Cavaliers hit a double-digits points total with more than five minutes left in the third quarter.

The core four of Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley combined for 75 points in the win. Allen recorded his third straight double-double, while Garland added six assists to his team-high points total.

Garland with ANOTHER triple 🔥

He knocked down 6 from outside as the @cavs move to 10-0! pic.twitter.com/ymiLjXC5no

— NBA TV (@NBATV) November 9, 2024

JB Bickerstaff almost convinced us that Darius Garland was bad at basketball

— Joey- Cade Smith enjoyer (@GuardsJoey) November 9, 2024

Darius Garland is an elite playmaker NO DEBATE. special passer

— 🧙🏾‍♂️🧣 (@Precision80) November 9, 2024

Imagine if we fired Koby Altman.

Imagine if we traded Darius Garland.

Imagine if we traded Jarrett Allen.

Imagine if we did anything that the doubters said we needed to do.

The Cavs are about to compete for championship, for years. All because they doubled down.

— Nikki Goel (@MrNikkiG) November 9, 2024

Isaac Okoro contributed 16 points in his second time starting this season while effectively guarding Steph Curry on the other side of the court.

CLAMPED.@isaacokoro303 | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/tXRYl2SbBN

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) November 9, 2024

Isaac Okoro hitting threes and blocking Steph Curry yeah this the best non LeBron Cavs team ever.

— Colb (@___Colb___) November 9, 2024

Isaac Okoro is wheeling and dealing, playing elite defense, and knocking down shots. This is the player the Cavs thought they were getting all along.

— Mack Perry (@DevaronPerry) November 9, 2024

Ty Jerome added 20 points off the bench while shooting 7-for-8 from the field.

Ty Jerome is generational backup point guard

— year 22 (@johnrivers131) November 9, 2024

Ty jerome just walked into a 30 footer like what are we supposed to do with that 💀

— Denver📈🇵🇸 (@doubledworth) November 9, 2024

when does ty jerome start getting 6th man of the year mentions

— gabb (@gabbgoudy) November 9, 2024

ty jerome going band for band with curry are yall scared yet

— preethi💋 (@preethimasina) November 9, 2024

Jonathan Kuminga led the Warriors with 21 points off the bench, while Steph Curry was held to 12 points in the loss.

The Cavaliers are now the first team since the 2014-15 Warriors to start out a season with a 10-0 record. Some fans think that, like Golden State in 2015, Cleveland could go on to win it all next spring.

June 2025: Your 74-8 Cleveland Cavaliers have won the NBA championship for the first time since 2016

— Sag (@Lilsagger) November 9, 2024

The Cleveland Cavaliers are winning the NBA Finals.

— Terrence ✨️ (@KingTerrbear) November 9, 2024

Cleveland is the only undefeated team in the NBA since the Oklahoma City Thunder suffered their first loss of the season on Wednesday to the Denver Nuggets.

The Cavs will look to stretch their season-opening streak to 11-0 with another home win on Saturday night, this time against Cam Thomas and the 4-4 Brooklyn Nets.

The Los Angeles Lakers will travel to the place where LeBron James began his career on Wednesday as they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Ahead of the matchup, the Cavs welcomed James and his son Bronny James, who was born in Cleveland, back home with a special tribute.

Classy move, @cavs 👏 pic.twitter.com/79vHTfrwMC

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 30, 2024

Along with the James family, Cleveland honored D'Angelo Russell, who played college basketball at Ohio State. The Cavs also welcomed back Lakers assistant coach Scott Brooks, who played in Cleveland in 1997 and 1998.

There's no denying the impact James had on the Cavs organization, spending his first seven seasons in Cleveland and returning in 2014 after his four-year stint with the Miami Heat. He took the Cavaliers to five NBA Finals and delivered the city its first championship in 2016.

The Cavs needed some time to recoup after James' departure in 2018, but they've now found themselves with a solid team capable of competing for a championship.

Following an Eastern Conference semifinals appearance last year, Cleveland is off to a 4-0 start and looking to stay undefeated against James and the Lakers.

Los Angeles won its first three games of the season but picked up its first loss of the year against the Phoenix Suns on Monday, the first game of a five-game road trip.

The vibes couldn't be better for the Cleveland Cavaliers following Monday's 110-104 win over the New York Knicks that saw Darius Garland score 15 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter to help erase a 13-point second-half deficit.

Speaking to reporters after the victory, Donovan Mitchell praised Garland for how he has started this season after a rough 2023-24 campaign:

"I'm happy for him because he went through a lot of BS last year. You have to learn from it, and you have to grow. Sometimes it's going to suck, and I think he felt that. It's a four-game sample but I have no doubt that's who he is going to be for us this season. That's who he was when he was drafted. That's who he was when he was an All-Star. I know what type of player he is. I know we can fit together. You're seeing it."

Garland finished the game with 34 points, three assists, two steals and two blocks in 33 minutes. His second block helped seal the win when he prevented a Jalen Brunson layup with 1:17 remaining and Cleveland holding a 103-98 lead.

The primary issue for Garland last season was a fractured jaw suffered in a Dec. 14 loss to the Boston Celtics that kept him out for more than six weeks. He said that only being able to eat meals through a straw caused him to lose 12 pounds.

Garland wound up having his worst season by scoring efficiency since his rookie year in 2019-20. He shot 44.6 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from three-point range in 57 starts.

Since the Cavs went 15-4 in the 19 games Garland missed due to the jaw injury and the team struggled once again the playoffs, there were questions about whether or not they would look to trade him.

Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer reported during the offseason that the San Antonio Spurs tried to trade for Garland, but Cleveland rebuffed any interest in the 24-year-old.

It has proven to be a smart move for the Cavs thus far. Garland is averaging 19.3 points on 54.7 percent shooting (50.0 percent from three), 5.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game in four starts this season.

First-year head coach Kenny Atkinson has the Cavaliers ranked in the top four in both offensive and defensive rating. This marks the first time they have started a season 4-0 since 2016-17 when they lost to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

The Cavs will look to improve their record to 5-0 on Wednesday when they welcome LeBron James back to Cleveland for a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

Cleveland Cavaliers sharpshooter Max Strus is out and will be reassessed by the team in six weeks after suffering a sprained right ankle during an individual workout on Thursday, according to Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan.

Strus missed two preseason games with a hip contusion before the ankle sprain kept him out of Cleveland's matchup with the Chicago Bulls on Friday, per Ruiter.

The 28-year-old started 70 regular-season games and 12 playoff contests for the Cavaliers last year.

He previously missed 12 games in March due to a right knee strain.

The team announced on Saturday that Strus underwent an X-ray and MRI to confirm the severity of the sprain before determining the six-week reassessment timeline.

It's a tough blow to a Cavaliers starting unit that's expected to attempt a high volume of threes under new head coach Kenny Atkinson. Point guard Darius Garland discussed the approach that Atkinson wanted the opening five to take when speaking to reporters on Oct. 7.

"Kenny's a big three-point attempt guy," Garland said (h/t SI.com's Spencer Davies). "So we try to get as many threes as we can. Try to get out in transition, walk-up threes. He's been on me and [Donovan Mitchell] about those in transition as well. Even Max [Strus] when he's open."

Strus' long-range proficiency is one of the main reasons why Cleveland handed him a four-year, $63 million contract as part of a sign-and-trade agreement during the 2023 offseason.

He shot 35.1 percent from three while attempting 6.8 shots from behind the arc per game during his first year with the organization, averaging a career-high 12.2 points each night.

Until he's able to return, Cleveland will likely rely on Dean Wade and Georges Niang to replace his production.

An injury-plagued 2023-24 season for Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland impacted more than just his ability to help the team on the court.

Speaking to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, Garland admitted he "sort of lost my joy for basketball" due to a broken jaw that kept him out for 19 games in the middle of the season:

"I can still remember that play. I was trying to make strides, trying to take steps in the right direction and trying to get better and then, boom, I literally get hit in my face and it's back to d— near square one all over again. That's what made it so tough last year. The momentum was picking up. Was getting better every day. We were getting better as a team. I felt like I was starting to learn so much and then … another bump in the road, another year of adversity. I sort of lost my joy for basketball."

The injury occurred when Garland's face made contact with Kristaps Porziņģis on a drive to the basket during a Dec. 14 game between the Cavs and Boston Celtics. He left the game with blood dripping from his mouth but was able to return, finishing with 19 points in 36 minutes.

Garland was later diagnosed with a fractured jaw that required surgery. He lost 12 pounds afterward because his jaw was wired shut, limiting him to a liquid diet, and he had to regain his strength before playing in games.

Cleveland started slow with a 13-12 record before Garland's injury, but it racked up 15 wins in 19 games after he went down. The positive momentum continued with his return on Jan. 31, as the Cavs won eight of their first nine games with him back in the lineup.

There was speculation that Garland could look for a trade if Donovan Mitchell remained in Cleveland. Even though Mitchell did sign a three-year, $150.3 million extension in July, the Cavs rebuffed any trade requests for Garland.

A healthy Garland playing alongside Mitchell gives the Cavaliers one of the best backcourt duos in the NBA. They both averaged more than 20 points per game in their first season as teammates in 2022-23, with Garland shooting a career-high 41.0 percent from three-point range.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYNYzC6YDKk

The combination of a healthy Garland and new head coach Kenny Atkinson has given the Cavs a lot of optimism heading into this season.

If Atkinson is able to maximize the talent of Garland, Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in ways that former head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was unable to, the Cavaliers have the top-end talent to be a Finals contender in the Eastern Conference for the first time since LeBron James left after the 2017-18 season.

Though his name was in trade rumors this offseason, Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell never had a doubt about staying with his current team.

The shooting guard inked a three-year, $150 million contract over the offseason, a decision he had no trouble making.

"To me, it was a no-brainer," Mitchell told ESPN's Brian Windhorst. "I think people don't understand, when you sign that contract, yes you're signing to be with the organization and my teammates who I love, who are family, but also it's a life decision. Cleveland is somewhere I genuinely like to be, from watching the Browns, from watching the Guardians. I knew for a while and it was just a no-brainer."

"I think we're a championship contender." 🏆

Donovan Mitchell with @WindhorstESPN on why he believes he can contend for a title in Cleveland 👀 pic.twitter.com/6CuSvq3WjH

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 10, 2024

After Cleveland's second-round exit to the Boston Celtics in the playoffs, Mitchell's future with the Cavs was certainly in question. A trade seemed like a real possibility, whether the Cavaliers initiated it or Mitchell requested it.

Before the extension, Mitchell was set to enter the final year of his contract. His looming free agency meant the Cavs could have had to face the decision of trading him over the offseason or waiting a year and getting nothing in return.

But now he's committed to Cleveland for at least three more seasons as the Cavs look to continue pushing for their first Finals appearance in the post-LeBron James era.

Mitchell has been the franchise cornerstone they've been looking for since James left in 2018, and he's lived up to the lofty expectations thus far. He averaged 26.6 points, 6.1 assists and 5.1 boards last season, leading Cleveland to a second straight postseason appearance after it had missed the previous four playoffs.

He had a tremendous playoff showing, putting up 29.6 points per game, including a 50-point outing in the first round against the Orlando Magic, before missing the last two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals with an injury.

Behind Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, the Cavs are now a team to be feared in the East—something that hasn't happened since James was around. Had Cleveland lost Mitchell this offseason, it likely would have set up more years of rebuilding. Instead, the Cavaliers have all the makings of a championship-contending team.

Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson spoke out in favor of Donovan Mitchell after his teammate wasn't listed among the top five shooting guards in the NBA general manager survey released on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters about the results, Thompson made it clear that Mitchell is "easily" one of the five best two-guards in the NBA right now:

"Just use it as motivation. Kick they ass, you know? 'You didn't put me on the list. I'm gonna use it as motivation.' Just kick everyone's ass and when the GM's have their golf shirts on, just walk by and be like ... just hold it down.

"There are 30 teams. Let's say there are, what, four guys just as good as him? So, that's like 25 other guys he is better than. So, 25 of you GMs I'm better than your best player that you guys are probably paying the same amount of money or paying less and probably stuck with him because you can't trade him because they're not good enough, whereas Donovan is really good. Donovan is a top 5 two-guard, easily. Sounds like they have a problem. Sounds like they have been making bad decisions."

The top five two-guards, as voted on by all 30 NBA GMs, were Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Stephen Curry and Luka Dončić. Jaylen Brown and Derrick White also received votes.

There is a semantic argument about the difference between a point guard and shooting guard. Dončić and Curry were also voted among the top three point guards, with Gilgeous-Alexander sandwiched between them at No. 2. Jaylen Brown alternates between being a two-guard and small forward.

If players were only eligible to be voted at one position that is their primary spot, that would open up a spot for Mitchell in the shooting guard list to potentially get in the top five.

Mitchell's standing outside the top five players at his position isn't anything new. He hasn't been ranked either in the top five or in the others receiving votes category in any season since entering the league in 2017.

It doesn't help his chances that the two-guard spot is loaded with talent right now. Of the seven players who received votes, it's hard to argue that you would take Mitchell above any of them.

Mitchell's limited success in the playoffs could also be impacting his standing. His teams have only advanced past the first round three times in seven postseason appearances, with no conference finals trips on his resume.

This isn't to suggest that Mitchell isn't a terrific player. He has made the All-Star team in each of the past five seasons, finished sixth in MVP voting during the 2022-23 season and has averaged at least 20 points per game in each of his first seven seasons.

Thompson is absolutely right to defend his teammate. It's up to Mitchell to keep playing at a high level to prove he belongs in the same discussion as the players ranked above him by the general managers.