James Harden's arrival may have changed everything for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Not only did that show that star players want to play for Kenny Atkinson's team, but it also gave the team more financial flexibility to add even more firepower to the team in the offseason.
On the other side of the bracket, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers might be ready for a split. As such, it's only natural to see countless rumors of a homecoming for what will likely be his final season in the league.
Talking on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Donovan Mitchell addressed that situation. And while he admitted that he's a big fan of the four-time NBA champion, he also proved that he cannot be bothered or fazed by anything other than the current task at hand.
Donovan Mitchell is prioritizing the present over the future in Cleveland
"As a Bron fan, man, to be able to be a teammate, obviously that would be special," Mitchell said. "But that's not something that is [in] my control. I control what we got here. There's always going to be reports, it's natural."
Mitchell is not shutting the door on LeBron. He's not even saying that he's not going to reach out to recruit him if that's what it takes to get him back in The Land. All he's saying is that he's got a work to do right now, and nothing else matters.
He knows what's at stake. He's drawn plenty of criticism for never getting past the second round of the playoffs, and the fact that Koby Altman and the Cavs gave him Harden speaks volumes about their confidence in him.
The Cavs made a huge gamble by trading Darius Garland for someone who's 10 years older than him. They know their championship window is probably going to be a little shorter, even if their odds got a bit of a boost in the short term.
That's why Mitchell cannot allow anything to mess with his focus right now. He has to shut down all the outside noise about the offseason, LeBron's potential return, or even about his impending contract extension.
The Cavs have finally committed to Mitchell as the undisputed face of the franchise. He's used to dealing with that type of responsibility, but after so many years of failing to get over the mountaintop, he also knows no one will cut him any slack anymore.