Donovan Mitchell is a happy camper after recently signing an extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers that alleviated any doubt about his future with the franchise that traded for him back in the 2022 offseason. While the Cavs still probably have a few moves to make in order to truly compete in the Eastern Conference, Mitchell’s commitment to the team is a big step in the right direction for a team still searching for consistent relevance in the post LeBron James era.
This weekend, Mitchell seemed to celebrate the news by making an appearance at Michael Rubin’s ‘White Party’ in the Hamptons, which featured dozens of figures from the sports and celebrity world. Of course, you didn’t actually go to a party or do anything for that matter unless you post about it on social media, so Mitchell made sure to do just that by sharing some flicks from the evening on Instagram.
Then, Cavs teammate Sam Merrill, who doesn’t have quite the high profile that Mitchell does, hilariously took to the comment section and wrote, “How do you get an invite and I don’t.”
While Merrill may not be considered in the same celebrity circles as Kim Kardashian or Beyonce, there were some rather “random” NBA players at the event, including journeyman Grant Williams, so it may not have been that far-fetched to see the Cavs sharpshooter in attendance.
What is the Cavs’ ceiling?
As currently constructed, the Cavs are still probably two tiers below the Boston Celtics and one tier below the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference hierarchy.
However, if Evan Mobley continues to ascend, and if Cleveland can find a way to eliminate the redundancy that is the Mitchell and Darius Garland backcourt via trade, Cleveland could really start to put some things together and capitalize on the potential they’ve shown over the last two years since Mitchell’s arrival.
The team recently hired one of the brightest offensive minds in the NBA in Kenny Atkinson to be their new coach, and with Mitchell now around for the long haul, there’s plenty of room for optimism in Cleveland.
