He may have been a second-rounder in this year’s NBA Draft, but new Cleveland Cavaliers forward Emoni Bates already has the stamp of approval from the team’s star guard.
Donovan Mitchell is looking past how Bates’ college journey turned out on paper and rather at what he can provide a team that made the playoffs out of the Eastern Conference last season despite a shake-up that included the All-Star being moved from the Utah Jazz to the Cavaliers.
Speaking at Fanatics’ inaugural Merch Madness Fan Gear Giveaway in Harlem, New York, on Tuesday, Mitchell explained his excitement for Bates’ arrival in Cleveland.
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“I’ve known him for a little bit, so I’m excited to get him in Cleveland,” he told Fox News Digital of the 6-foot-9, 190-pound forward. “He’s got a lot of talent, man. A lot of talent. He’s going to be able to help us for sure.”
Mitchell was quick to head to social media after the Cavs drafted Bates, saying “Let’s get it!! @BatesEmoni.” The incoming rookie replied, “I can’t wait big bro.”
It will be brotherly bond between the two, with Mitchell being the elder to look up to. That is not hard as Mitchell has made four straight All-Star teams in the last four seasons, while averaging a career-high 28.3 points in his first year with Cleveland during the 2022-23 campaign.
However, Bates was pegged as the next Kevin Durant while gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated in high school. He was the first sophomore to win the Gatorade national player of the year award in 2020, when beat out Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley, another Cavs teammate.
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He headed to Penny Hardaway’s Memphis Tigers out of high school, but a back injury led to just 18 games played. Bates went on to transfer to his hometown Eastern Michigan squad and thrived with 19.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists averaged.
However, with just one year of that type of production, as well as dealing with gun charges off the court, Bates declaring for the NBA Draft did not have first round written on his profile despite the high school accolades.
For any second-round pick, it is always an uphill climb to crack the NBA roster fresh out of camp. Of course, there are many examples of second-rounders that have flourished in the NBA – the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic is one of the most recent success stories having won this year’s NBA title – but it does not come without the work in the gym.
Mitchell knows this, even if he was the 13th overall pick by the Jazz in 2017. Perhaps he will be the one to steer Bates in the right direction.
However, given the Cavs’ current depth chart with Mobly Isaac Okoro, Cedi Osman and others with NBA experience, it will be hard for Bates to make an impact in his rookie season.
However, that is not stopping Mitchell from hyping up his protégé as he hopes to go further than the first round of the NBA Playoffs like the Cavs did last season.
“Just trying to find ways to get better as a group and he can help us do that for sure,” Mitchell said.
GIVING BACK WITH FANATICS
Mitchell has always been one to impact the communities he plays in as well as New York City, where he has ties from his days playing at Rucker Park in the summer and AAU ball.
That is why he was among A-list athletes and celebrities, including rappers Lil’ Baby, Meek Mill and A$AP Ferg, Russell Wilson and Eli Manning at for Fanatics’ Merch Madness merchandise giveaway at Frederick Douglass Academy in Harlem on Tuesday.
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Mitchell was seen handing out merchandise to a myriad of underserved kids and their families at the school, and this was just one of Fanatics’ nearly 100 different locations across the United States where this event was being held.
The company donated roughly $20 million in merchandise, and Rubin is hoping to push that to $100 million to help more than 1 million people in need next year and beyond.
