Donovan Mitchell diary: ‘This team is going to be special’ with James Harden
Donovan Mitchell said at the Intuit Dome before the NBA 3-point competition on Feb. 14 that he and new teammate James Harden are focused on one thing: winning together — and that belief, he added, makes the pairing promising now that Harden has arrived in Cleveland.
Donovan Mitchell on coexisting with James Harden
Mitchell emphasized he’s not worried about lineup fits or ego battles, saying, “I’ve never played with a guy like James Harden, ” and stressing the pair are having an open dialogue about how to help one another. He noted, “For him to go out there and say he’s trying to help me, that’s huge, ” and framed the partnership around winning rather than individual roles.
Cavaliers' recent moves and current form
The Cavaliers completed a major roster shift on Feb. 3 when they acquired 11-time All-Star James Harden in a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers that sent guard Darius Garland and a 2026 second-round pick the other way. Cleveland is 3-0 since the trade and sits fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 34-21 record, having won five straight and nine of their past 10 games.
Mitchell’s numbers and what he’s brought so far
Mitchell entered the season averaging 24. 7 points, 4. 7 assists and 4. 3 rebounds across 539 regular-season games over eight seasons. At the 2026 All-Star break he was averaging a career-high 29 points with 5. 9 assists and 4. 5 rebounds this season. Those numbers helped Cleveland post a 64-18 record last season and a 15-0 start, though the team fell in the second round of the playoffs to the Indiana Pacers.
All-Star week and a hectic two weeks for Mitchell
Mitchell described a busy stretch that included his fiancée Coco Jones performing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and the Super Bowl halftime show on Feb. 12 in Santa Clara, his reaction to Chris Paul’s abrupt retirement on Feb. 13, and his own participation in the 3-point contest on Feb. 14. He also scored six points for Team USA Stripes in a 47-21 loss to Team USA Stars during the All-Star festivities.
Beyond Harden, the Cavaliers recently added veteran guards Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis from the Sacramento Kings as they work to integrate new pieces. Mitchell said the group has to remain hungry after the All-Star break and specifically noted the need to get “James, Dennis and Keon acclimated” to the rotation while the team continues its recent run.
Cleveland returns from the All-Star break with an explicit short-term task: keep winning while folding Harden, Schroder and Ellis into the lineup and maintain the form that produced five straight wins and nine victories in 10 games.
