The 1 Cavalier with the most to prove in the 2024-25 NBA season

The Cleveland Cavaliers have entered a new era of Cleveland basketball after two consecutive playoff trips and numerous All-Star selections over the past few years.

In the 2021-22 season, the Cavs officially reentered the NBA discussion after a breakout year for both Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen alongside Evan Mobley's stunning rookie season. Cleveland's push to the Play-In Tournament gave the front office enough reason to chase a franchise star - Donovan Mitchell. The Cavaliers beat the New York Knicks in a long offseason campaign to steal Mitchell from the Utah Jazz as the Salt Lake City squad entered a rebuild.

The Cavs offered a hefty sum for Mitchell but retained all of last year's core. Pairing Mitchell with Garland in the backcourt led to questionable defense but outstanding offensive and shooting. Mitchell also elevated the play of Allen and gave Mobley a trustworthy leader for his young career. The Cavaliers have achieved mild success, reaching the second round of the playoffs after a brutal seven-game series against the Orlando Magic.

This offseason, onlookers expected major change to come to Cleveland basketball after a shocking article from The Athletic. Instead, though, the Cavaliers doubled down and secured multi-year deals with each core player other than Garland who was already on a maximum extension.

Other than drafting Jaylon Tyson, the Cavaliers made no roster changes this summer, even re-signing Tristan Thompson to another one-year deal. Instead, the Cavs added a brand new coaching staff under Kenny Atkinson. Cleveland's bold choices this summer signify a major shift from the earlier years of the new era. According to Hoops Wire, Mitchell told the Cavaliers front office to keep both Garland and Allen despite rumors when he signed his extension.

Donovan Mitchell must prove himself right with the Cavaliers

Donovan Mitchell has officially made the Cavaliers his franchise by taking a role in the front office's decisions. Last season, injuries derailed Cleveland's attempts to build chemistry and rhythm. When Garland and Mobley returned from being sidelined for over a month, Mitchell soon found himself injured and stumbling to the finish line after the All-Star break.

With the Cavs' poor health last year, Mitchell's desire to keep the core together was a reasonable choice. When the roster was healthy, the Cavaliers showed glimpses of a true Eastern Conference contender; yet, this move by Mitchell to take a role in roster moves so heavily should put pressure on him to uplift his teammates and prove it was the right decision.

It is not uncommon for a franchise star to have substantial sway in trades and free-agent signings. But, once that player makes a direct demand to the front office, those decisions must be backed up. Mitchell used his contract extension as leverage to manage the offseason, fairly so. As the rest of the East improves and seemingly passes the Cavaliers in star power, though, Mitchell has the most to prove of any Cavalier that the team has what it takes to go blow-for-blow with the conference powerhouses.

Since joining the Cavaliers, Mitchell added two more All-Star selections to his lengthy resume and led the Cavs to their first playoff appearances since 2018. Mitchell's presence and leadership have elevated Cleveland past their expected ceiling years ago, but the media has begun to waver in faith toward the team's ultimate peak. In each of the Cavs' playoff runs with Mitchell, the bench has fallen short and each win has seemed like a tumultuous undertaking to win at all.

At home, the Cavaliers had to overcome an 18-point deficit after the first half against the Magic in game seven of round one. Against the Celtics, the battered and injured Cavaliers steamrolled Boston in game two only to be pummeled in the next three.

This year, the Cavaliers have a lot to prove. They employ four players on their relative maximum extensions. With hundreds of millions of dollars invested in four contracts, the Cavaliers cannot find complacency in second-round exits. Cleveland has gone all-in on this core behind Mitchell's guidance.

For Donovan Mitchell, the 2024-25 season will define a significant portion of his NBA legacy. If the Cavaliers plateau or fall back in the standings, the front office has incredibly limited options to pivot and restructure. Mitchell is locked in for the foreseeable future, and it is now time for him to showcase why the Cleveland Cavaliers believed in him to be the face of the 2020's decade in Cleveland sports history.