Why Cleveland Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell Is a Surprising MVP Candidate

Could Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell take home an MVP award next season?

Feb 27, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates his three-point basket in the second quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell is a five-time All-Star, but he has never really been a serious contender for an NBA MVP award.

Mitchell finished sixth in MVP voting during his first season with the Cavaliers in 2022-23, but that is the closest he has ever gotten to winning it.

However, Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz feels that Mitchell has a chance of taking home the honor next season.

In a piece where Swartz outlined a bunch of potential sleeper candidates to win MVP in 2024-25, he listed Mitchell and thinks new head coach Kenny Atkinson can help bring the best out of him.

"A new, offensive-minded head coach in Kenny Atkinson should bring the most out of Mitchell as he enters his prime years," Swartz wrote. "The former Brooklyn Nets head coach helped turn D'Angelo Russell into an All-Star."

Mitchell averaged 26.6 points, 6.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds over 35.3 minutes per game this past season. He shot 46.2 percent from the floor, 36.8 percent from three-point range and 86.5 percent from the free-throw line.

The 27-year-old did that over 55 games, as he missed some time due to injuries.

Mitchell has actually not played 70 contests in any one individual campaign since his second year in the league back in 2018-19, so staying on the floor would obviously help his case to potentially win an MVP award.

Cleveland acquired the Louisville product in a trade with the Utah Jazz back in September 2022.

In his first two seasons with the Cavs, Mitchell has led the club to back-to-back playoff appearances. The Cavaliers advanced to the second round of the postseason this past spring.