Cavs Have a Donovan Mitchell Concern They Didn’t Face Last Season, Per ESPN Insider

The 2024–25 season looked like a dream for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who posted a league-best 64-18 record. Yet their success wasn’t without setbacks, and none proved bigger than Darius Garland’s situation. The guard, who briefly addressed trade rumors (“It crossed my mind…for like five seconds,” he told ESPN), delivered a strong season before a toe injury cut short his playoff run. Garland underwent surgery in June, but what has caused a headache for the front office is that he is expected to miss 4–5 months.

While Garland’s injury on its own is a huge blow for the Cavaliers, who will certainly miss his production, its consequences could also affect Donovan Mitchell, as ESPN Insider Tim McMahon spoke more about it. Recently, while having a chat with Brian Windhorst on the ‘Brian Windhorst & Hoop Collective‘ podcast, McMahon revealed that Cleveland might have to face a situation where Donovan Mitchell is worn down during the regular season due to a severe workload.

According to him, this could happen if Darius Garland, who’s expected to join the team during the training camp, doesn’t make it back in time or isn’t a hundred percent at the start of the season. “As much as they will miss Darius Garland’s production, if he’s not ready to roll over the season, and even if he needs to be ramped up early in the season, which I will assume is maybe the best-case scenario. I do think wearing down Donovan Mitchell’s probably the biggest concern.“ McMahon said.

Not just that, the ESPN reporter also reminded everyone that this wasn’t the case last season when Garland was fit for most of the campaign and shared the load with Mitchell. “Last year, they really were able to kind of ease the burden on him, limit his minutes. So it wasn’t nearly as bad as the year before, but last year, Darius Garland was healthy for the vast majority of the regular season. Now, unlike the previous year, when Donovan was completely in fumes and doing all kinds of issues by the time the playoffs rolled around.” He added.

What is even more troubling is, the supporting cast around Mitchell, including the players that Cleveland has acquired, is injury-prone. Players like Lonzo Ball (whom they recently signed from the Bulls), Dean Wade, and Sam Merrill can ease the pressure on Donovan Mitchell when on the hardwood, but they are all prone to injuries, and this isn’t ideal for the Cavs. Last season, head coach Kenny Atkinson was able to manage Donovan Mitchell’s minutes as he used the six-time All-Star whenever he needed, but the 2025-26 season will start will a challenge.

Well, keeping this huge dilemma that the Cavs are set to face during the upcoming season, it seems like they are in search of a reliable backup for their superstar player. In fact, they might’ve found him in a free agent.

The Cleveland Cavaliers eye Malik Beasley through free agency

The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the several teams closely monitoring the situation of former Pistons guard Malik Beasley. The 28-year-old, who had a phenomenal campaign with Detroit last season, was expected to be one of the hottest properties in free agency this season. However, that was halted by a federal investigation being launched into him for having alleged gambling ties. But recently, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Beasley had been cleared of those charges and is expected to re-enter free agency.

This alerted the Cavs front office, who are eyeing the guard to ease the load on Donovan Mitchell and also as a replacement for Max Struss, who suffered an injury during the offseason. Well, Beasley will fit like a glove in Cleveland, given that he averaged 16.3 points last season for the Pistons, while shooting 41.6 percent from beyond the arc. It is his combination of great offense and floor spacing that will make him a great partner for Mitchell.

However, before the Cavaliers faithful get too excited, it won’t be easy to land the 28-year-old, as the Cavs will face stern competition with the likes of Minnesota and New York, both of whom are also looking to land the sharpshooter. What’s even more concerning is the fact that all three teams can only offer Beasley a veteran minimum contract, something that the guard does not want (he wants a deal north of the veteran minimum). So, this is a situation that you should keep an eye on, as we’ll report any progress in the coming weeks.