Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell has never played in an NBA Finals before. As a matter of fact, he has never even made it past the second round of the playoffs.

That held firm this past spring, when Mitchell and the Cavaliers were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in Round 2.

However, that does not mean Mitchell isn’t thinking about the finals.

During a recent appearance on the Million Dollaz of Game podcast, Mitchell was asked who he thought would represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals next June.

He did not think the Dallas Mavericks would repeat as West champions.

“I would say it’s probably going to be Minnesota or OKC,” Mitchell said. “I think Minnesota, they some dogs. I think they figured it out too about themselves. They made some trades and made some different acquisitions and all that, but they figured it out. OKC adding Alex Caruso, I don’t think people really understand what that does for that lineup. You’ve already got [Cason] Wallace over there, you’ve got Lu Dort, Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander]’s not a bad defender himself. You add Alex Caruso to that lineup.”

The Mavericks were able to beat both the Thunder and the Timberwolves on their way to the finals this past spring, but having that year of experience under their belts may work wonders for both Oklahoma City and Minnesota.

On paper, both the Thunder and the Timberwolves probably boast more talented rosters than Dallas top to bottom, even after the Mavs signed Klay Thompson in free agency.

One thing is for sure: Minnesota and OKC are both better defensive ballclubs than the Mavericks, as they ranked first and fourth, respectively, in defensive efficiency this past year. Dallas, meanwhile, finished 13th.

But what about Mitchell’s Cavaliers? Do they have a chance of making a deep playoff run?

It will certainly be a tough in an Eastern Conference that features the defending champion Boston Celtics, plus squads like the New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers and even the upstart Indiana Pacers.

We’ll see if Mitchell can carve out some more postseason success in 2025.