Donovan Mitchell just dropped 35 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers past the Detroit Pistons, 116-109, cutting their series deficit to 2-1 in the 2026 NBA playoffs. It was a vintage performance from a superstar who seems to save his best for the biggest moments. But here's the twist that makes this matchup even more electric: Mitchell once thought he'd be wearing a Pistons jersey himself.
Flash back nine years to the 2017 NBA Draft. Mitchell, then a sophomore from Louisville, walked into his pre-draft workout with the Pistons feeling like he had already sealed the deal. He studied film with Stan Van Gundy, who was both president of basketball operations and head coach at the time, and left the session convinced he had "aced the test."
"I did really well in the film session with Stan," Mitchell recalled. "I watch a lot of film so I remember exactly what plays were run. I remember the play calls in college, where I was supposed to be, when I was in certain positions. I thought I'd nailed it."
His workout numbers backed up the confidence. At the 2017 NBA Combine, Mitchell measured 6-foot-3 with a remarkable 6-foot-10 wingspan, weighing a chiseled 210 pounds at just 5.9 percent body fat. He posted the highest standing vertical leap at 36.5 inches and clocked the fastest three-quarter court sprint at 3.01 seconds—one of the quickest times in combine history. A 40½-inch max vertical leap ranked fourth overall.
Yet when the 12th pick arrived, the Pistons passed. They selected Luke Kennard, a sweet-shooting Duke guard, instead of the explosive two-way guard who would go on to become a four-time All-Star. Mitchell was drafted 13th overall by the Denver Nuggets, then traded to the Utah Jazz, where his star began to rise.
Now, as a Cavalier, Mitchell is making the Pistons pay for that decision. His Game 3 performance—a 35-point, 10-rebound masterpiece—was a reminder of what could have been. For Pistons fans, it's a painful glimpse at an alternate universe where Mitchell is their franchise cornerstone, not the man torching them in the playoffs.
Whether you're a Cavs fan savoring the moment or a Pistons fan wondering "what if," one thing is clear: Donovan Mitchell's journey has come full circle, and he's not letting the team that passed on him forget it.