One analyst believes Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell is the ninth-best player in the NBA. 

Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report ranked Mitchell ninth in his top 100 players list for the 2025-26 season. 

"Donovan Mitchell has finally established himself as a top-10 NBA player as he enters his age-29 season," Swartz wrote. "Finishing No. 5 in MVP voting last year and making first team All-NBA were big milestones for the six-time All-Star, as he blended impressive raw stats with leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to the No. 1 offense and 64 wins.

"Could this be the year everything truly comes together? Can Mitchell top 40 percent shooting for the first time outside the arc? Will he be able to lead the Cavs to the NBA Finals? Can he sniff 30 points per game, especially with Darius Garland and Max Strus set to miss the beginning of the season with injuries? The best shooting guard in the NBA outside of Anthony Edwards, Mitchell is knocking on the door of becoming one of the all-time greats at his position."

Mitchell, 29, enters the 2025-26 season with career averages of 24.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.3 blocks with the Utah Jazz and Cavaliers. He has made six All-Star teams and two All-NBA teams and is seventh in NBA history in points per game in the playoffs (28.3).

A Louisville product, Mitchell has been with the Cavaliers since 2022. He's averaging 26.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.4 blocks in a Cleveland uniform.

Mitchell scored 57 points in a playoff game against the Denver Nuggets in 2020 and 71 points against the Chicago Bulls in a regular-season game in 2023. He's undoubtedly one of the best scorers in NBA history.

Cleveland is the favorite to win the Eastern Conference this season since Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton has already been ruled out for the season and Boston Celtics small forward Jayson Tatum may not play either.

Mitchell has never advanced past the second round of the playoffs in his career. 2026 could and should be the year that changes.  

In 71 games for the Cavaliers last season, Mitchell averaged 24.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.2 blocks while shooting 44.3% from the field, 36.8% from beyond the arc and 82.3% from the free-throw line. 

Cleveland was the No. 1 seed in the East last season. Mitchell and Co. beat the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs in four games but lost to the Pacers in the second round in five games. 

The Cavaliers and Mitchell are under major pressure to reach the NBA Finals this season. The Cleveland franchise has never made the NBA Finals without LeBron James on the roster.