Power Ranking 8 teams under more or less pressure than the Miami Heat to win a championship
By Brennan Sims
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
41-24
4.2 NetRtg
Donovan Mitchell isn't a sure thing to resign in Cleveland, and I'm not sure why. Maybe he wants to get to a glamorous market like New York. That doesn't make much sense, seeing that Bruson is similar to Mitchell in terms of game and size.
Is the fit with Darius Garland wonky? Both guys thrive with the ball in their hands, but they are plus-8.0 when sharing the floor in 1139 minutes. Regardless of why his status is up in the air, that's Cleveland's reality.
Currently sitting at the third seed, the Cavaliers could face the Miami Heat, New York Knicks, or Philadelphia 76ers. Any three of those teams should make the Cavs sweat. Another first-round exit might cause Mitchell to exit stage left.
He's the best guard on the team, though Garland is full of peak Chris Paul potential (offensively). You want to keep Mitchell in a perfect world. Sure, you'd get a good package for him on the open market, but he was an MVP candidate who is shooting out of his mind when healthy. Without a deep run, they may lose him. There's undoubtedly pressure on this organization.