NBA
DM
#45

Donovan Mitchell

Guard · Cleveland Cavaliers · 6'2", 215 lb · Born Sep 7, 1996 · Elmsford, New York · Drafted 13th overall, 2017
7× All-StarAll-NBA First Team (2025)71-point gameSpida
NBACleveland CavaliersGuards
Compare:vs Schrodervs Mobleyvs Hardenvs Allenvs Tysonvs Strus
In short

Donovan Mitchell is the franchise cornerstone of the Cleveland Cavaliers — a seven-time All-Star, All-NBA First Team guard, and one of the NBA's premier scorers. Drafted 13th in 2017 out of Louisville, he starred five seasons in Utah before a 2022 trade to Cleveland, where he scored a franchise-record 71 points and led the Cavs to the best record in the East. Nicknamed 'Spida,' he wears No. 45 to honor Michael Jordan's baseball number.

Matchup model · next gameMedium confidenceThu, Nov 12
@Chicago BullsAggressive hedge & help
Proj. points
28
range 23.7–32.3
Line 28
50%
to go over
Team win
44%
112–113
Poi 28 Lean underReb 4.5 Lean overAss 5.7 Lean overPRA 38.2 Lean over
Likely on himIsaac Okoro· 82 Perimeter DStrong defender
25+ pts74%30+ pts34%35+ pts7%

Model lines Mitchell at 28 pts (range 23.7–32.3) vs a 28 line — roughly a coin flip to clear it (50%).

Model favors Chicago Bulls (56%), projected 112–113, ~225 total at 96.9 pace.

Full matchup breakdown · all markets →
Balladex Matchup Model — modeled from real roster ratings, scoring baselines & defender-matchup history. Schedule, availability & head-to-head samples are illustrative in this prototype; production wires live schedule, injury & player-tracking feeds. Not betting advice.
✦ Ask anything about Mitchell
The Mitchell Story — narrated
Tap play to hear his story, told as a 90-second short.
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An explosive scorer who dropped 71 in a Cavs uniform — the franchise cornerstone who wears Jordan's baseball number.

Raised around Mets clubhouses by his ex-minor-leaguer father, Mitchell starred at Louisville and was drafted 13th in 2017 (Denver, traded to Utah).

⚾→🏀 Louisville13th, 2017

He won the Slam Dunk Contest, set a rookie three-point record, and scored 57 in a bubble playoff game.

🏆 Dunk champ57 · playoffs

Traded to Cleveland in 2022, he scored a franchise-record 71 — the most since Kobe's 81.

71 · franchise recordMost since Kobe

A seven-time All-Star and 2025 All-NBA First Team guard, he signed long-term to make Cleveland a contender.

⭐ 7× All-Star3 yr / $150.3M
— end of story —
Want the full numbers? Open the breakdown →
PPG
27.9
2025-26
RPG
4.5
per game
APG
5.7
per game
FG%
.483
.364 from three
LIFE

Roots & the rise

An explosive, clutch scorer and franchise cornerstone — the man who scored 71 in a Cavaliers uniform.

Donovan Vernell Mitchell Jr. was born in Elmsford, New York, the son of a former Minor League Baseball player who spent two decades with the Mets. He starred at Louisville, was drafted 13th in 2017 (by Denver, traded to Utah), and immediately made an impact — winning the Slam Dunk Contest and setting a rookie three-point record — before a 57-point bubble playoff game announced him as a star.

Traded to Cleveland in 2022, he scored a franchise-record 71 points against Chicago in January 2023 — the highest-scoring NBA game since Kobe Bryant's 81 — and led the Cavaliers to their best seasons since LeBron James. A seven-time All-Star and 2025 All-NBA First Team guard, he signed a three-year, $150.3 million extension in 2024. He wears No. 45 to honor Michael Jordan's baseball number.

Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference, ESPN.

BEYOND THE GAME

Beyond the game

Baseball shaped Mitchell's childhood: his father, Donovan Sr., played in the Mets' minor-league system and worked for the organization for over 20 years, and Mitchell grew up around big-league clubhouses — the reason he chose No. 45, Jordan's baseball number, and remains a passionate Mets fan. Of Panamanian and African-American descent, he got engaged to singer Coco Jones in 2025.

His reputation is built on scoring and resilience. He's one of the league's most reliable postseason performers — a 71-point regular-season eruption and multiple 50-point playoff games on his résumé — and his decision to sign long-term in Cleveland stabilized a franchise and made the Cavaliers a genuine Eastern Conference power.

PERSONALITY

The person

An explosive, clutch high-volume scorer — a resilient playoff riser and franchise anchor.

Elite scorerA 71-point franchise-record game and multiple 50-point playoff outings.
Clutch riserOne of the league's most reliable postseason scorers.
Athletic guardA Slam Dunk Contest champion with deep range and a strong frame.
PLAYER DNA

Archetype & ratings

Archetype
Franchise Scorer · No. 1 Option
Temperament
Alpha
Leadership
84/100
Scoring93
Playmaking71
Rebounding45
Perimeter D64
Rim protection23
Spacing65
Athleticism78
Clutch85
Elite scorerShot creationPlayoff riser
ANALYSIS

What the numbers say

The scoring engine

Mitchell is a high-usage, three-level scorer who can carry an offense for stretches and rises in the postseason — the traits behind a 71-point game and a history of 50-point playoff outbursts. His improved playmaking and willingness to commit long-term turned Cleveland into an Eastern Conference power built around his shot-making.

Carrying a contender

With Cleveland trading for James Harden midseason to add a second creator, Mitchell's burden eased slightly, but he remains the closer and No. 1 option. The open question, as ever, is postseason breakthrough — whether his scoring can translate into a deep run for a Cavaliers team good enough to reach the Conference Finals.

STATS

Season by season

Per game

SeasonGPMINPTSREBASTFG%3P%
2025-267033.527.94.55.7.483.364

Source: Basketball-Reference.

ADVANCED

Advanced & historical

Where he sits in history

2023Scored a franchise-record 71 points vs Chicago — the most in an NBA game since Kobe Bryant's 81
2025All-NBA First Team; led Cleveland to the best record in the East
CollegeFirst-team All-ACC at Louisville before being drafted 13th in 2017

Hardware

7×
NBA All-Star
1×
All-NBA First Team (2025)
1×
Slam Dunk Contest (2018)
OUTLOOK

Where it's headed

AI-generated · updated July 13, 2026

A franchise cornerstone and elite scorer in his prime — the No. 1 option of an Eastern power.

On a three-year, $150.3 million extension, Mitchell is the scoring engine of a Cavaliers team that reached the Conference Finals. With Harden added as a second creator, the question is a deeper playoff breakthrough.

ScoringElite
Clutch / playoffsProven
PlaymakingImproved
Size / defenseUndersized

Contract

Deal
3 yr / $150.3M signed 2024
Role
No. 1 option franchise
Age
29 prime
Bottom line

An explosive franchise scorer who dropped 71 for Cleveland. The Cavs' cornerstone — with a deep playoff run the last box to check.

FAQ

Quick answers

Why does Donovan Mitchell wear No. 45?

To honor Michael Jordan's baseball number; Mitchell grew up around MLB clubhouses through his father, a longtime Mets employee.

What is Donovan Mitchell's career high?

71 points against Chicago in January 2023 — a Cavaliers franchise record and the most in an NBA game since Kobe Bryant's 81 in 2006.

How did Donovan Mitchell join the Cavaliers?

Cleveland acquired him from Utah in a September 2022 trade that sent out Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, Ochai Agbaji, and multiple picks.