INDEPENDENCE — Donovan Mitchell hasn't won the Cleveland sports edition of “Game of Thrones” yet.
But the Cavaliers five-time All-Star guard has solidified himself this year as a legitimate contender to become the face of the city's sports scene .
The other candidates are easy to identify.
With the Guardians rolling toward the Major League Baseball playoffs , six-time All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez has an extremely strong case, and a World Series appearance next month would seal the deal.
Coming off an NFL Defensive Player of the Year season, Browns five-time Pro Bowl end Myles Garrett is in the running as a beloved Hall of Fame-caliber player whose name is often chanted on the lakefront.
If Browns four-time Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb were healthy, he would be the answer because his combination of elite production, intense work ethic and all-business attitude is a perfect fit for Northeast Ohio .
More Cavs news: How Cleveland Cavaliers Media Day availability with Kenny Atkinson, Koby Altman unfolded
Can Cavaliers All-Star Donovan Mitchell become the most popular professional athlete in Cleveland sports?
Subjective power rankings like these fluctuate and are largely dependent on team success, but Mitchell definitely entered the mix in July when he joined Ramirez, Garrett and Chubb as star players who chose to stay with a Cleveland professional sports franchise by signing a contract extension.
How many times did you hear Mitchell would bolt for the New York Knicks at the first chance?
The rampant speculation puzzled Mitchell partly because he's not from here. A native of Elmsford, New York, Mitchell is a bit perplexed by an inferiority complex being woven into the Cleveland fan base's collective fabric.
Nevertheless, Mitchell signed a three-year extension with the Cavs worth $150.3 million. The contract includes a player option for the 2027-28 season, so there is no guarantee he'll finish his NBA career with the Cavs, but the commitment he has already made served as a monumental development for the organization.
It set the stage for virtually every remaining roster decision Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman made in the summer and discussed Friday for about 50 minutes with new coach Kenny Atkinson during their Media Day availability at Cleveland Clinic Courts.
Altman elected to run it back with the “core four” of Mitchell, point guard Darius Garland , forward Evan Mobley and center Jarrett Allen , signing Mobley and Allen to contract extensions in addition to small forward Isaac Okoro and essentially betting Atkinson will be able to lead the group deeper into the playoffs than his predecessor, J.B. Bickerstaff .
The Cavs beat the Orlando Magic in seven games during Round 1 before falling in May to the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
What Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman says about Donovan Mitchell signing a contract extension
Basically as soon as Mitchell arrived in Cleveland via a Sept. 1, 2022, trade with the Utah Jazz, rumors swirled about an inevitable departure when his old contract expired.
“He's been all in since Day 1,” Altman said. “That's not to say he didn't think about different situations. That's not to say that he hasn't in his time around the league talked to different players with what they've done. But when you hear him talk about this place, he says, 'I finally found a home,' which is great. I mean, that's what we want Cleveland to be. We want guys that want to embrace the city, embrace this organization.
“I think he found two of the best years of his career here, which is immensely important. He found success, he found playoff success, but he also sees us putting in place a great future with a young, talented roster around him, which we think can be championship level for years to come. And he's very, very smart. He's very intellectual in terms of his thought process and his plans. He has very, very high, lofty goals, and we talked about that a lot this offseason.
“His extension allows us to continue this runway, continues to allow us to compete for championships for years to come. And, again, that's the whole point. You took a huge risk by bringing and acquiring a five-time All-Star that was 25 years old at the time, 26 years old, and you've got to sell him on the place. And he's all the way in. And it's awesome to have a partner in Donovan Mitchell like we have now to create this atmosphere.”
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell leads player movement back to Cavs training facility
Right after Labor Day, Mitchell set an example for his teammates by returning to Cavs headquarters for workouts, Altman said. After spending the Paris Olympics as an assistant coach with Team France, Atkinson traveled to Greenwich, Connecticut, for quality time with Mitchell, Altman said, adding the coach ultimately did the same with Garland in Nashville and Mobley in Los Angeles.
“[Atkinson was] sending me and [General Manager] Mike Gansey some footage of Don shooting,” Altman said. “I'm like, 'I didn't even know you were making that trip.'”
The relationship between Mitchell and Atkinson will be crucial.
“There's going to be ups and downs, there's going to be the hard times and those are going to be the real test of our relationship,” Atkinson said. “But, man, I feel like we've gotten off to a fantastic start.”
Donovan Mitchell and new Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson have hit it off
Training camp starts Tuesday, but Atkinson and Mitchell have already talked about strategy and how he can take the next step as a player.
“He's already a great leader, but us, we've had those conversations of being a great leader from an on-court perspective,” Atkinson said. “I told him, ‘I don't think you realize how great a shooter you are.’
“Part of it is on our staff, me and the staff, getting him easier shots, get him more catch-and-shoot shots, and then putting him in the right positions to be more efficient. He's super efficient already, but how do we tweak this system where he's running off the ball more? Can we get you more corner 3s? I think we were 23rd in transition corner 3s. Can we get you the simple ones?
“Are we celebrating screening when Jarrett Allen's coming down the court and he sees Donovan and this guy over there and he just goes and cracks him and Donovan comes off wide open? I think we're going to have a real good plan in place to elevate him to be even more efficient and even a better player.”
How can the Cleveland Cavs keep Donovan Mitchell healthy for the NBA playoffs?
Altman said the Cavs' goal is to capture a championship but added the next stage of their progression is to win multiple rounds in the playoffs.
Atkinson mentioned two specific keys to him guiding the Cavs to greater postseason success are the team's health and working throughout the regular season on potential forthcoming playoff adjustments.
Mitchell is at the center of the health discussion after a left knee bone bruised hindered him throughout the second half of the 2023-24 season and a strained left calf eventually sidelined him for Cleveland's final two playoff games . Ensuring Mitchell's regular-season minutes are right falls into Atkinson's jurisdiction, and the coach noted he plans to use a 10- or 11-man rotation right off the bat.
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Mitchell, 28, had incredible playoff performances this past spring.
In the postseason, he averaged 29.6 points on 47.6% shooting from the field, 5.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.3 steals in 38.2 minutes. Staying healthy enough to play when it matters most and taking the Cavs to their first NBA Finals without LeBron James would boost Mitchell's status from a Cleveland star to a Cleveland icon.
Mitchell has propped up his teammates and defended them at every turn. He has already connected with the region by attending high school hoops games and visiting the Muni Lot with Garrett before the Sept. 8 Browns regular-season opener. He took a trip Friday to greet students at St. Edward High School in Lakewood.
Still, Mitchell is wise enough to realize the most effective way to endear himself to Cleveland sports fans is to win.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Donovan Mitchell's Cavs extension puts him in mix for face of Cleveland sports | Ulrich
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