James declines returning to the Cavaliers! Mitchell's attitude revealed: His motivation for the new season has been fully ignited.

On August 3rd Beijing time, per reporter Brandon Robinson, after James turned down a return to the Cavaliers and signed with the 76ers, Mitchell's determination for the new season was thoroughly ignited.

Robinson recently exchanged texts with Mitchell and talked about the conversation on SiriusXM host David Shepard's show. "I'll keep his exact words to myself for now," Robinson said, "but I can say he is extremely eager to have a great season. If 'unbothered' were personified, it would be Donovan Mitchell."

That statement certainly aligns with Mitchell's typical style.

Since James finalized his move to Philadelphia, Mitchell has been at the center of the media storm. Robinson previously reported that people within James' camp were surprised Mitchell remained with the Cavaliers. They believed that if the Cavs traded Mitchell and kept Garland and Mobley, James might have more seriously considered returning to Cleveland.

There is a notable connection here: Garland's agent is Rich Paul, who is part of Klutch Sports Group, the same agency that represents James. So it's likely no coincidence that James' camp always wanted Cleveland to keep Garland.

The situation ultimately turned out completely opposite: the Cavaliers traded Garland for Harden, Mitchell remained as the team's core, and James chose to leave. Now, it's Mitchell's turn to directly face all the external doubts.

Robinson, who had close contact with the Cavaliers last season, said Mitchell has fully integrated into Cleveland, as has his wife Coco Jones (the couple just got married). More importantly, the city and the team have genuinely embraced Mitchell.

"Donovan Mitchell is the embodiment of Cleveland," Robinson said. "He wasn't born here, but he spends a lot of time in this city."

Robinson also precisely summarized Mitchell's role on the team: "Based on everything I've seen, heard, and observed, Donovan Mitchell is without a doubt the main course (absolute core) of the team."

This might be the most important takeaway from the whole situation. LeBron had a chance to return to Cleveland, but he chose a different path. The Cavaliers still have Mitchell, and reports indicate that Mitchell will enter the new season with a goal to prove himself.