Donovan Mitchell pushes past departure from Utah Jazz, adamant Cleveland Cavaliers can 'really build something special'

CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell disagrees that the now broken up Utah Jazz core «didn't really believe in each other» as team CEO Danny Ainge said earlier this week.

«I don't think we didn't believe (in each other),» Mitchell told ESPN Wednesday on his first day in Cleveland as a Cavalier following a Sept. 1 trade. «I said at the end of the season, don't trade (Rudy Gobert). Let's figure this out, let's do. And that didn't happen. For him to say that after six months around the team, I disagree. But you know, at the end of the day, that's his decision.»

Ainge, who was hired last December, traded Gobert to the Timberwolves in a draft-pick centered blockbuster in July and also dealt defensive specialist Royce O'Neale in a separate draft pick draft before moving Mitchell to the Cavs on Sept. 1.

While the Cavs had been one of the teams that Mitchell knew had made an offer for him, he said he was shocked when he was sent to Cleveland instead of his hometown New York Knicks. Mitchell said in the few days before the deal went down he'd been led to believe he was close to being a Knick.

«Very close, I won't say more than that I know a little bit more than most, but definitely very close,» Mitchell said. «I was truly excited when I got traded (to the Cavs), but we were, it was, it was close (to the Knicks).»

After trade talks initially failed, Cavs president Koby Altman re-engaged the Jazz in late August after the Knicks and Jazz were able to come to terms. Altman and Jazz general manager Justin Zanik, who have completed five trades over the last past five seasons, assembled the final deal in less than 48 hours. The Cavs traded three unprotected first round picks, two pick swaps and three young players for Mitchell.

«We have a great