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Donovan Mitchell Addresses LeBron James-Cavaliers Rumors

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Christian Alamodin | Last updated Feb 15, 2026 6:35 AM ET

LeBron James' haters and fans know that the King's time in the NBA is coming to an end. While the 41-year-old forward is still putting up incredible numbers (22.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 7.1 APG), it's still clear that Father Time is starting to catch up to him.

Even the Cleveland Cavaliers fans who watched him play for the Los Angeles Lakers for the first time this season also noticed his muted performance. The Akron, Ohio native finished the Purple and Gold's January 28 game against the Cavs with 11 points, three rebounds and five assists on 30% shooting.

Thanks to these performances, talks about James' future in the NBA intensified. The Cavs are a popular destination among fans for the future Hall of Famer, with former Cavs GM David Griffin recently claiming that he "would be surprised" if James didn't return to Cleveland in some capacity.

Donovan Mitchell, the man currently propping up the Cavs in 2026, shares his thoughts about LeBron's potential return to Cleveland.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23).© Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Donovan Mitchell Welcomes LeBron James' Return to the Cavaliers

In a recent SiriusXM NBA Radio interview, the 2026 NBA All-Star shared that he'd be more than happy to share the locker room with James. However, he also reminded fans that James' return to Ohio is out of his control.

"As a Bron fan, to be able to be a teammate would obviously be special," Mitchell said. "But that's not something that's [in] my control. I control what we got here. There's always gonna be reports, it's natural, it's gonna be a thing. At the end of the day, my main focus right now is trying to get this championship."

"It’s LeBron James, right?"

Here’s Donovan Mitchell’s thoughts on the rumors that LeBron could finish his career in Cleveland@TermineRadio | @Jumpshot8

Click here for more All-Star coverage - https://t.co/j3RPgmlH7e pic.twitter.com/lm2My2U5HQ
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) February 15, 2026

Mitchell is enjoying a solid season with the Cavs, averaging 29.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists while shooting 48.7% from the field and 37.6% from deep. Cleveland is currently fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 34-21 record.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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