Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell Gets Honest About MVP Race

Looking back at past MVP winners, a common trend is that the award goes to the best player on the best team that season.

Considering this, it's interesting that Donovan Mitchell hasn't received more consideration for the MVP award this season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have consistently been at the top of their conference standings and have made plenty of NBA history along the way.

Yet, Mitchell remains outside of NBA.com's MVP Ladder, which has remained a trend all season long.

Mitchell recently did an interview with Yahoo! Sports, in which he discussed the MVP dilemma and his current position in the race.

"I'm not shocked. Because my numbers, my usage, is not as high," Mitchell said.

"I came into the season understanding if we took this approach, that would be the sacrifice. Do I feel like I'm (part of that conversation)? Hell, yeah. But understanding I don't have the ball in my hands every single possession. And look where we are because of that. That, to me, is going to translate to winning."

“I think that's how you associate the MVP, with high numbers, high usage. And that's not always going to be me every night, and I'm OK with that,” Mitchell said. “Maybe because at the end of the day, if we go out there and win a championship, I'm not going to sit and say, 'Damn, I didn't win the MVP.'”

Donovan Mitchell celebrates during the second half — Mar 30, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates during the second half against the Los Angeles Clippers at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

A lot of analysts and fans may determine value by the stats a player posts consistently in a box score. While this is important, Mitchell's worth to the Cavaliers goes well beyond numbers.

The six-time All-Star has made a conscious effort to take a step back this season. Not because he's having a down year or isn't the same player as in the past, but to allow other players around him to grow and develop, raising the team's overall ceiling.

Mitchell's usage drop has directly been tied to Darius Garland's bounce-back season, and the offensive jump Evan Mobley has taken this year.

But when the Cavaliers have needed Mitchell to take over a game, he's done just that. His 27-point performance in Cleveland's come-from-behind victory against the New York Knicks is a great example of this.

Mitchell may not win MVP, but this shouldn't diminish his contribution to Cleveland's success in 2025.

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