After a tough battle with the Western rivals, the Cavaliers are preparing for their next challenge against the Raptors. Hours before the clash, the franchise dropped some news regarding Donovan Mitchell. The guard faced some struggles in the previous matchup and was expected to bounce back in this one. However, that’ll only happen if he suits up tonight.

According to Sam Amico of Hoops Wire, the Cavaliers have decided to give Donovan Mitchell a much-needed rest on the second night of the back-to-back. So, he has been sidelined for the upcoming game against the Raptors. This means that Max Strus and Caris LeVert will have the opportunity to take on a larger role on the hardwood tonight.

So far, Donovan Mitchell has missed only one game this season and has shown no signs of injury. While Mitchell has registered his name on the injury report, Sam Merrill might make his return as he has been listed as questionable. The 28-year-old guard has missed the last three games because of a sprained right ankle.

Mitchell’s absence on Thursday might not have a major impact on the team, as the Cavaliers faced a similar situation against the OKC Thunder last night. Mitchell was limited to just 11 points on Wednesday, but the team’s “next man up” mentality proved crucial in securing the victory.

The 28-year-old Donovan Mitchell is averaging 22.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game, while maintaining a shooting accuracy of over 40%. So, off days like that are understandable. With Mitchell now sidelined, let’s take a closer look at the depth charts for both teams to get a clearer idea of their potential rotations.

Cavaliers vs Raptors depth chart

Cavaliers

Raptors

The Cavaliers are enjoying their best season yet, with a 32-4 record and are comfortably sitting at the top of the Eastern Conference. On the flip side, the Raptors could only manage 8 wins in 37 games. Given the disparity in performance, the Cavaliers likely won’t need Donovan Mitchell to secure the win.

They have already won against them twice this season. The Cavs have a pretty strong lineup that is more than capable of taking on the 14th-seeded Toronto team without Mitchell . So, resting him was a definitely smart move. Tune in at 7:00 ET to catch the live action from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.