Donovan Mitchell reportedly eyeing a return as soon as Friday

Mitchell’s return is on the horizon.

Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star Donovan Mitchell is reportedly aiming to be back on the floor as soon as Friday night against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Cavs have essentially been without Mitchell for the entirety of March. He appeared in only two games, clearly hobbled by a lingering knee injury. A fractured nose sent Mitchell back to the sidelines where he has missed seven straight games, including tonight’s upcoming match in Charlotte.

Mitchell’s presence has been sorely missed. He was blazing an All-NBA trail before injuries derailed his campaign. Under the league’s new player participation rules, Mitchell is no longer eligible for All-NBA consideration as he will not reach the 65-game threshold.

But the Cavaliers are not worried about Mitchell’s award status. They would rather he just gets healthy and makes a full return before the playoffs. While it is unclear if Mitchell’s knee will continue to limit him in his second return — it sounds like he will at least be back on the floor to give it another go before April.

For the Cavs, Mitchell’s return could provide emergency brakes to stop the freefall they’ve been bordering on since losing him. They’ve gone 5-9 without Mitchell since the All-Star break. This stretch has extended Milwaukee’s lead for the second seed and sliding deeper into the seedings would require only a minor slip from the Cavs — with just 1.5 games separating Cleveland and Orlando for the 5th seed.

The final stretch of the season will be important for building momentum into the playoffs. With the return of Evan Mobley and imminent comebacks from Max Strus and now Mitchell, things could be looking up just in time.