Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell missed his 18th game of the season on Monday, meaning he has joined a growing list of star players who are ineligible for end-of-season awards in 2023/24, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
The NBA introduced a rule this season requiring players to appear in at least 65 games in order to be eligible to receive votes for a Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, or Most Improved Player award, as well as for an All-NBA or All-Defensive spot.
Mitchell missed his seventh consecutive game on Monday due to a left knee bone bruise and has now appeared in just 47 of Cleveland’s 65 contests. Even if he were to return on Wednesday and play in every game for the rest of the regular season, he’d max out at 64 appearances.
As Marks notes (via Twitter), other notable players who are no longer eligible for end-of-season awards include Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, Julius Randle, Kyrie Irving, Draymond Green, Ja Morant, OG Anunoby, LaMelo Ball, Jamal Murray, Kristaps Porzingis, and Mitchell’s teammates Darius Garland and Evan Mobley.
Several of those players likely wouldn’t have made All-NBA or All-Defensive teams even if they had reached the 65-game threshold, but Mitchell was a strong All-NBA candidate, having averaged 28.0 points, 6.2 assists, and 5.4 rebounds in 35.7 minutes per game so far this season, with a shooting line of .472/.371/.861. Those numbers aren’t far off the ones he posted in 2022/23, when he finished sixth in MVP voting and made the All-NBA Second Team.
While Mitchell won’t earn an All-NBA spot this season, that won’t have any impact on his next contract, since he’s no longer eligible for a super-max deal after being traded from Utah to Cleveland in 2022. He will be extension-eligible as of this July, however.
The Cavaliers could offer Mitchell a new contract that is worth 30% of the 2025/26 cap and covers up to four seasons (through ’28/29), with 8% annual raises. As Marks observes, based on the latest cap projections, that four-year max extension would be worth an estimated $199MM.
Damn. I just hope he’s healthy for the playoffs. We miss him badly right now.
Cavs got the injury bug this year
Like half of the East has had a lot of injuries. Hope everyone is back for the playoffs.
East haa been riddled with injuries.
Like this new 65 game thing. Stops players from resting all year for the playoffs and getting recognition at the award ceremony for being soft throughout the year.
Unfortunate for those who get injuries but are deserving but such is life and end of the day players aren’t playing for awards they are playing for titles.
Interestingly since implemented we have seen typically soft player such as AD, Kawhi and Bron if you want to label him as that, be available more regularly which was the whole purpose of implementing the 65 game rule.
The only thing I can see being an issue is players complaining about not making all nba teams and missing big money in their contracts. For example if Spida was to have missed out on a super max this offseason cause he was injured and didn’t make an all nba team I’m sure everyone would know about it. What would then be a sensible solution would be those super max bonuses being based on making all star game selection and having players/coaches/gms select the teams. Taking away poor fan and media voting and making it so if you want that top tier money you have to earn the respect among your peers in the league.
Donovan Mitchell would have been a 2nd team All NBA at shooting guard. What it will primarily affect is voting for the Hall of Fame after he retires. A bigger deal would be Evan Mobley missing out on All NBA defensive team Awards. That however has to improve teammate Jarrett Allen’s shot at making the same. With Mobley and Jaren Jackson not being eligible Allen might even be a finalist for DPOY. Of course it also means Mitchell will also miss out on making the defensive first or 2nd team as well. A real possibility with Donovan being 2nd in the NBA in Steals and First in Defensive Win Shares before getting hurt. Odd for a guy who was thought of as a Defensive liability just the Summer before last.