Cleveland Cavaliers: 15 greatest draft steals in franchise history
By John Buhler
- Four seasons w/Cavaliers (1978-81)
- NBA All-Star (1980-81)
- 271 career games w/Cavaliers
- 19.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists per game w/Cavaliers
Mike Mitchell was one of the most underrated scorers in the NBA during the 1980s. The Atlanta native would play his college ball at nearby Auburn University, where he would have his No. 30 jersey retired by his alma mater. After four years of All-SEC play, Mitchell would be the No. 15 overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft by Cleveland.
Mitchell spent part of his first four NBA seasons with the Cavaliers, asserting himself as a go-to scorer for Cleveland by year two. While he averaged double figures as a rookie in 1978-79, that 10.7 points per game would be the lowest total of his 10-year NBA career.
He averaged over 20.0 points per game in six of his 10 NBA seasons. It would have been seven if he made a few more buckets during his 1982-93 NBA campaign where Mitchell averaged 19.9 points per contest.
Despite averaging nearly 20 points per game throughout his NBA career, he only once made the NBA All-Star Game. Fortunately for Cavaliers fans, that came in his last full season with the team in 1980-81. Mitchell averaged a career high 24.5 points per game, playing in all 82 games for Cleveland.
However, Mitchell would end up spending the bulk of his NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs. Mitchell was traded to San Antonio along with Roger Phegley for Ron Brewer, Reggie Johnson and cash considerations. He spent the next seven seasons in San Antonio before playing most of the 1990s overseas.
Mitchell retired with over 15,000 career points. For a time there, he was as good of a bucket getter in San Antonio as Hall of Famer George Gervin. Sadly, Mitchell would pass away from cancer in 2011 at age-55. Though he’s better known for being a score-first forward with the Spurs, Mitchell is one of the better draft steals in Cleveland history. His ability to put the ball in the basket allowed him to have a strong decade-long career in the NBA for two franchises.