Donovan Mitchell makes bold claim about Cavaliers

With the Knicks acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges and the Sixers adding Paul George this offseason, the defending champion Celtics will have to compete with two legitimate title contenders in the 2024-25 season. Furthermore, the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Bucks could also be a force to be reckoned with in Doc Rivers' first full season as head coach.

While those four teams are expected to lead the pack in a crowded Eastern Conference, Donovan Mitchell has warned against counting out his Cavaliers, who finished with a 48-34 record last season. The All-Star guard pointed out that the Cavs were a top-3 seed for most of the year until injuries derailed them as himself (27), Darius Garland (25) and Evan Mobley (32) missed a chunk of games at critical points.

"We're championship contenders when we're healthy," Mitchell told Andscape's Marc Spears. "I feel like last year we grew in a lot of ways. We played a lot of different ways. Now during that stretch, we went on, obviously D.G. [Darius Garland] and Evan [Mobley] were hurt. But we found something that really can help bring us to the next level. So now the trick is how do we continue to implement that style of play over 82 [regular-season games] and then the final 16 [playoff] wins."

The star guard admitted that Garland and Mobley were still in their developmental stages, but he had seen enough from both players to put pen to paper on a contract extension this offseason.

"I believe in the hunger and the will that we have as a group. And so, for us, I believe we're cherished contenders when healthy," he stressed.

The Cavaliers enter the 2024-25 season with the 10th-shortest title odds and fifth-best odds to represent the East in the NBA Finals. As such, they would upset the apple cart if they truly contend for a title.

Mitchell and Co. begin their campaign against the Raptors on Oct. 23.