Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 116-109 victory over the Detroit Pistons in Game 3 of the 2026 NBA playoffs. Mitchell revealed he once believed he would be drafted by the Pistons, who instead selected Luke Kennard.
Donovan Mitchell poured in 35 points and added 10 rebounds to help rally the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 116-109 victory over the Detroit Pistons, for a 2-1 deficit in the best-of-seven second-round series in the 2026 NBA playoffs.
But nine years ago, Mitchell thought he was about to be drafted by Stan Van Gundy, then the president of basketball operations and head coach of the Pistons.
Instead, they took Luke Kennard, a sweet-shooting sophomore guard from Duke, over Mitchell, a sophomore from Louisville.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) dribbles against Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson (9) during the second half of Game 3 of second round of NBA playoffs at Rocket Arena in Cleveland on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
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Below is an excerpt from a Free Press story published March 14, 2018, headlined: and written by then-Pistons beat writer Vince Ellis.
Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points in Game 3 against the Pistons.
The Cleveland Cavaliers won Game 3 against the Detroit Pistons with a score of 116-109.
The Detroit Pistons drafted Luke Kennard instead of Donovan Mitchell.
Donovan Mitchell believed he was going to be drafted by the Pistons, but they selected Luke Kennard instead.
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And as the seconds ticked away before the 12th pick, Mitchell thought the Pistons were going to call his name.
The thought was based on a strong workout he had during a predraft visit to Auburn Hills a few days before the NBA Draft on June 22.
And it was based on a film session with Pistons president and coach Stan Van Gundy.
âI did really well in the film session with Stan,â Mitchell said. âI watch a lot of film so I remember exactly what plays were run. I remember the play calls in college, where I was supposed to be, when I was in certain positions. I thought I aced the test. This is it. I thought Iâd nailed it.â
Mitchell, 21, was zooming up draft boards by the time he arrived for his Pistons visit.
A strong showing combine at the May scouting combine in Chicago helped.
At 6-feet-3, Mitchell's wingspan was measured at 6-10. Weighing a sculpted 210 pounds, he carried only 5.9 percent body fat.
Front Row (L-R) - OG Anunoby, Dennis Smith, Malik Monk, Luke Kennard, Lonzo Ball, Markelle Fultz, De'aaron Fox, Frank Ntilikina, Justin Jackson, Back Row (L-R) Bam Adebayo, Jonathan Isaac, Justin Patton, Lauri Markkanen, Jayson Tatum, Josh Jackson, Zach Collins, Donovan Mitchell and TJ Leaf pose before the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 22, 2017 in New York City.
He posted the highest standing vertical leap at 36.5 inches. He posted the fastest three-quarter court sprint time at just 3.01 seconds, one of the quickest times in combine history. A 40½-inch max vertical was fourth at the combine.
âA lot of people donât know this: I didnât see myself in this spot five months ago, to be honest with you,â he told reporters at the Pistons practice facility the Sunday afternoon before the draft.
âItâs crazy for me to think that realistically, five months ago, I didnât think I would be in this spot at all. I thought Iâd be back in college getting ready for my junior season.â
He displayed competitiveness by scheduling workouts up until draft night. He worked out for the Sacramento Kings (fifth and 10th picks), the Charlotte Hornets (11th), the New York Knicks (eighth) and Dallas Mavericks (ninth).
Van Gundy makes a habit of reviewing film with draft prospects, saying it helps to give him a feel for a player.
âHe was great in the interviews, he had a great workout,â Van Gundy said before the Pistonsâ loss. âA very intelligent, thoughtful guy and extremely mature for a young guy coming out.â
Louisville Cardinals guard Donovan Mitchell in action against the Duke Blue Devils during the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament at the Barclays Center on March 9, 2017 in New York City.
But they liked Kennard better and picked the Duke shooting guard.
Kennard had the better season before both underclassmen entered the NBA draft.
Kennard carried Duke offensively all season while finishing fourth in Division I in total minutes. Duke won the ACC tournament, where Kennard won tournament MVP.
Kennard averaged 19.5 points per game; Mitchell averaged 15.6.
Kennard shot nearly 44 percent from 3-point range; Mitchell shot 35 percent.
Kennard also had the advanced stat edge.
â(Predraft workouts are) important and beneficial to some degree, but our viewing in the 5-on-5 settings with college teams is where we should see all those different things â or not see them â which is just as valuable,â Pistons general manager Jeff Bower said the Friday after the team introduced Kennard.
Kennard shot the ball well in his workout with the Pistons, but he didnât compete against other draft hopefuls.
Itâs an understatement to say Mitchell has thrived after the Jazz consummated a draft night trade with the Denver Nuggets, who picked Mitchell at No. 13.
Although the numbers were understated against the Pistons, he flashed his tantalizing ability.
...
The Pistons werenât the only team to pass on Mitchell, who also thought the Hornets would take him at No. 11 instead of the currently struggling Malik Monk.
Mitchell admits he was irritated on draft night.
But itâs not something that really drives him â like it does teammate Rudy Gobert who wears No. 27 to represent going 27th in the 2013 draft.
âRudy wears No. 27 because of the teams that passed on him so itâs a different type of mentality,â Mitchell said. âMy philosophy is everything happens for a reason and God put me here for a reason. I donât have any animosity against those teams.â
A brief pause.
âI guess you do have a little bit of motivation against those teams, but I really donât hold anything against them.â
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons tormentor Donovan Mitchell almost played for them