Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers Open 2026-27 at 1-2
Donovan Mitchell is back at shooting guard for Cleveland in his 9th season, wearing No. 45, with the Cavaliers sitting at 1-2 through three games. He is not on the injury report. Last season he averaged 27.9 points over 70 games, and the early returns this season have been inconsistent.
By the Cavaliers Nightly Desk · updated 8 d ago01The story of the nightThe season so farCleveland has played three games to open 2026-27, and Mitchell has been up and down.
Cleveland has played three games to open 2026-27, and Mitchell has been up and down. He had 15 points, 2 rebounds and 8 assists in 24.9 minutes in a loss to Orlando on October 13, then followed with 11 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists in 25.7 minutes in a win over the Magic two days earlier. In the opener against Boston on October 8, he logged 11 points, no rebounds and 3 assists in just 16.9 minutes, a game Cleveland lost with him at a plus-minus of 0.0. That leaves the Cavaliers at 1-2 to start the year, with Mitchell still searching for his scoring rhythm.
02Last season's numbersIn 2025-26, Mitchell played 70 games for Cleveland and averaged 27.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.5 steals…
In 2025-26, Mitchell played 70 games for Cleveland and averaged 27.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.3 blocks in 33.5 minutes a night. He shot 48.3 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from three and 86.5 percent from the line, with a true shooting mark of 61.3 percent on a 31.1 usage rate. His plus-minus was plus-5.3. Those are the clearest markers of where he was a year ago, and they set the bar for what Cleveland expects from him again as the primary scorer this season.
03How the playoffs endedCleveland's last season closed with a playoff run that showed both sides of Mitchell.
Cleveland's last season closed with a playoff run that showed both sides of Mitchell. Against Detroit in May, he went for 26 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists in a win on May 17, but also had an 18-point outing in a loss on May 15 and 21 points in a win on May 13. Against New York later in May, he scored 31 points on May 25, 23 on May 23, 26 on May 21 and 29 on May 19, but Cleveland lost all four of those games, with his plus-minus underwater in each one, including a minus-23 on May 25.
04Injury reportMitchell is not on the injury report right now.
Mitchell is not on the injury report right now. There is no injury history logged for him this season. At 30 years old and in his 9th year, that clean bill of health matters for a guard who played 33.5 minutes a night last season and carries a heavy workload in Cleveland's offense. For now, the only story with him is performance, not availability.
05The playerMitchell is a 6-2, 228-pound guard out of Louisville, now in his 9th NBA season and wearing No.
Mitchell is a 6-2, 228-pound guard out of Louisville, now in his 9th NBA season and wearing No. 45 for Cleveland. He is the Cavaliers' lead scorer and primary shot-creator, and last season's 31.1 usage rate reflects how much the offense runs through him. There are no rumors attached to him right now and no departures tied to his situation. The early-season numbers through three games are the only new data point since last season's stat line and that May playoff stretch.
Mitchell27.9 ppg
Maxey28.3 ppg
UTA