The Cleveland Cavaliers may have to play Saturday night’s game against the Dallas Mavericks without Donovan Mitchell. And he isn’t the only starter whose status is suddenly uncertain.
Mitchell is listed as questionable for the Nov. 14 matchup at Rocket Arena, according to the NBA’s injury report. James Harden, Jarrett Allen and Peyton Watson are also questionable, leaving Cleveland facing the possibility of a severely depleted starting lineup.
The news comes after a chaotic 24 hours for the Cavaliers, who were stranded overnight in Miami following Friday’s 133-121 loss to the Heat because of widespread flight disruptions.
Mitchell had already expressed frustration with the circumstances surrounding the back-to-back. Now, Cleveland has an even bigger problem to navigate before its 7:30 p.m. ET tipoff.
Is Donovan Mitchell Playing Tonight vs. Mavericks?
Mitchell’s availability remains uncertain after Cleveland listed him as questionable for Saturday’s game against Dallas.
The Cavaliers guard played 33 minutes in Friday’s loss to Miami, finishing with 25 points. Harden added 20 points in 35 minutes, meaning both of Cleveland’s starting guards logged substantial playing time before facing an unusually difficult overnight turnaround.
The Cavaliers were unable to fly home as originally scheduled after a nationwide FAA ground stop disrupted air travel Friday. According to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, the team made arrangements for a Saturday morning flight instead.
Mitchell made his position on the situation clear when asked whether the Mavericks game should be canceled.
“Me, personally, yeah for sure,” Mitchell told Fedor.
“This is unprecedented. Back-to-back. Three-hour flight. It was already going to be a tough one. But if they say we have to play then we have to play.”
The team has since returned to Cleveland, with Cunningham reporting Saturday that the Cavaliers landed after spending the night in Miami.
There is no confirmation Mitchell will miss the game. However, his questionable designation means his participation is no longer assured, and Cleveland must determine how much its starters can handle after the disrupted travel schedule.
Cavaliers Injury Report Creates Major Lineup Concerns vs. Dallas
Mitchell’s status is only part of the concern for Cleveland.
Harden, Allen and Watson are also questionable, while Evan Mobley has already been ruled out with a left great toe sprain. Sam Merrill is unavailable because of right elbow injury management.
That leaves four starters from Friday’s game uncertain and another regular starter, Mobley, unavailable.
The timing is particularly difficult for coach Kenny Atkinson, whose team is coming off consecutive games against the New York Knicks and Miami Heat.
If Mitchell and Harden are unable to play, Cleveland would lose its two primary starting backcourt creators. Their absences would place considerably more offensive responsibility on the Cavaliers’ reserves.
Rookie Tyrese Proctor would be an intriguing option for additional minutes. Proctor scored 22 points off the bench against Miami, providing Cleveland with one of its few bright spots in the loss.
Jaylon Tyson and Meleek Thomas could also face expanded responsibilities depending on which starters are available.
Meanwhile, an Allen absence would further complicate Cleveland’s frontcourt rotation with Mobley already sidelined.
Dallas enters Saturday’s matchup with a scheduling advantage. The Mavericks were already in Cleveland on Friday while the Cavaliers were dealing with their travel problems in Miami.
Cleveland’s injury designations do not guarantee that its questionable players will sit. But after Mitchell openly questioned the wisdom of playing the game, the latest update gives the Cavaliers a difficult decision to make before tipoff.
Cleveland Cavaliers Get Concerning Donovan Mitchell Injury News Before Mavericks Game