A tighter group: Mitchell and Harden lean into rare offseason bonding to build Cavaliers' chemistry

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell and his Cleveland Cavaliers teammates didn't go their separate ways for four months before reassembling a couple weeks ago for the start of offseason workouts.

Instead, from the time the Cavaliers were eliminated in the Eastern Conference finals by the New York Knicks until Monday's media day, which marked the unofficial start of training camp, the group has spent a lot of time around each other.

“I think this is probably the most time I’ve spent with my teammates outside of the actual season in my career," Mitchell said. “From being in New York at the (US) Open and working out there and then going to James' (Harden's) birthday and working out there. And the crazy part is none of us went to summer league (in Las Vegas).”

James Harden was at the forefront of building the team bonding during the offseason. Harden was a midseason acquisition last year, but really didn't get to know his teammates off the court until the summer.

"We really didn’t have an opportunity to have that team bond, games in the regular season. And then you’re preparing for the postseason everything is intensified. So this summer was a really good opportunity for us to learn each other," he said. “Understanding somebody that’s like any job in the world. Now it’s giving them comfortability to come talk to me or me talk to them in ways that we never really had before. I think we’ve built some really good stuff over these last few months.”

Besides the time spent around teammates, both showed their commitment by signing new contracts during the offseason.

Mitchell inked a four-year, $273-million contract extension on the first day of the offseason signing period. The seven-time All-Star had two seasons remaining on his contract and could have waited to re-sign until next summer, when he would be eligible for a five-year supermax deal worth $350 million.

“I could have waited and made it about myself and whatnot, but for me, how can we as a team go out there and find a way to make moves? I’ve said to him (vice president of basketball operations Koby Altman) I want to be here. I’ve said it publicly and I love being here. And I think for me, now it’s about delivering and everything else that comes with it,” Mitchell said.

Harden signed a three-year, $97 million contract last month after declining his player option. He also helped recruit acquiring Peyton Watson in a five-team trade.

“I think it was a no-brainer. He’s young, he’s athletic, he’s gotten a lot better and it just fits what we’re trying to do. He’s been in postseason runs with Denver, so he knows what that looks like,” Harden said of Watson.

Center Thomas Bryant, who also re-signed with the Cavaliers during the offseason, said the biggest group during the offseason is that everyone is speaking the same language when it comes to running plays. That's something that didn't happen last season with the midseason trades and also the Cavaliers having 41 different starting lineups during the regular season due to injuries.

“We’re having these now before we even started the new year with the team. I think that’s a great step of growth going forward,” he said.

Mitchell and Harden will need to put together big seasons again if the Cavaliers are going to contend in the Eastern Conference. The 29-year old Mitchell averaged 27.9 points, 5.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds during the regular season, along with 26 points in the playoffs.

The 36-year-old Harden is going into his 18th NBA season. He averaged 10.7 points for the Cavaliers in the regular season, and 19.7 points in the postseason.

The team bonding will continue over the next week as the Cavaliers hold training camp in Spain. They open the regular season on Oct. 22 at Philadelphia against LeBron James and the 76ers.

“More time together equals more success, in my mind. Number one, it’s just a good group of guys we’ve got here. If you’re willing to sacrifice for each other, that goes such a long way that nothing can make up for," center Jarrett Allen said.

See AP’s full NBA coverage here