Donovan Mitchell appears open to playing alongside LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers at some point.
There are already rumors and speculation brewing about what LeBron James might do when he becomes a free agent this offseason: re-sign with the Lakers, retire, or just maybe, come back home for one last run with his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers?
Late last week, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said there was “ramping speculation” James could return to Cleveland next season for a retirement tour.
With all the noise, Cavaliers current superstar guard Donovan Mitchell was asked about the possibility of playing alongside one of the greatest players of all time.
“As a Bron fan, man, to be able to be a teammate, obviously that would be special,” said Mitchell. “But that's not something that is in my control. I control what we got here. There's always going to be reports. It's natural. It’s going to be a thing.”
There is a very famous picture, one that Mitchell has posted himself on occasion, of him as a kid wearing the classic navy 2010 LeBron James Cavaliers jersey, so the guard has been a fan of the legends for a while. It certainly sounds like Mitchell is willing and interested in teaming up with the forward at some point.
Jan 28, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) defends Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the fourth quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn ImagesEven with all of Mitchell’s comments about the possibility of playing alongside LeBron, he did make it clear that his focus is on this season, right now, and getting on the same page with the players the Cavaliers just traded for.
“At the end of the day, my main focus right now is trying to get this championship, and whatever happens, it happens. That's not up to me. Thats not up to anybody else in the locker room. I'm big on believing what I can control,” continued Mitchell.
“I mean, it's LeBron James, right? But at the end of the day, that's not my focus. I'm not here to worry about that. I know I'm going to get asked about that a bunch all weekend, but my focus is just trade it for James Harden, Dennis Short of Keon Ellis. Hey, let's try to find a way to get a ring. and go from there.”
We’ll see what happens the rest of the season for the Cavaliers and what James has in store for the rest of his career. That said, it would be awesome to have LeBron come back and wear the Wine and Gold alongside Mitchell for one more season.
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