The Cleveland Cavaliers drastically shook up the core of what was a 64-win team last season. They sent out former All-Star Darius Garland for James Harden in hopes of raising their playoff floor and ceiling.

There’s pressure to win now. That’s what happens when you have a group that has been so successful in the regular season but has failed to reach its goals in the playoffs.

Donovan Mitchell feels that pressure as well. He’s never gotten out of the second round of the playoffs, which is noteworthy considering how good a player he’s been.

Any move that drastically alters the foundation of the team should be signed off on by Mitchell. He’s the one who’s going to be tasked with making it work on the court. By all accounts, the Harden for Garland trade has Mitchell’s approval.

Koby Altman, Cavs president of basketball operations, wanted to make clear that even though this is a trade that has Mitchell’s blessing, it wasn’t motivated by any pressure Mitchell put on the organization.

“The great news is Donovan’s all in on Cleveland,” Altman said on Thursday afternoon.

“He’s bought in pre-trade, coming into the season, all of it. He’s laying down roots here. He loves the city. He loves what we’re doing as an organization. I think, of course, you want feedback from your best player, but that’s not Donovan’s job. Donovan’s job is not to run into my office and tell me to go get this player or make this move. Do we want his input? Absolutely. Just like I want my head coach’s input, just like I want my staff’s input.”

One of the things this trade crystallized was the fact that the Cavs are completely on Mitchell’s timeline, and rightfully so. As enticing as it is to try to play the long game on two separate timelines, that doesn’t work unless you’re the Gregg Popovich San Antonio Spurs.

Mitchell is a top-10 player right now. There’s no guarantee either Mobley or Garland will ever be at that level. Not maximizing the window you have with the second most talented player in team history would be inexcusable.

From that perspective, every move that the Cavs make is about Mitchell. The fact that his current contract could run out at the end of next season provides a sense of urgency. Mitchell has made it clear that he loves this city and that he also wants to compete for championships. It’s on the Cavs to make sure that the second part remains true.

That said, this trade wasn’t Mitchell’s decision to make. The Cavs executed this deal because they believe it helps them win a championship. In this instance, Mitchell and the team’s best interests lined up.

“A lot goes into decision-making and evaluation, and there’s future outlooks that we wouldn’t even talk to Donovan about from a financial implication standpoint,” Altman said. “All of this goes into your process when you have to make a decision like this. It’s not fair to label Donovan as the one that was driving this or forcing our hand or anything like that. Donovan’s been an incredible partner. Austin Brown, his representation, they’ve been incredible.

“I think they’re happy. I think he’s happy about what we did, but certainly not the driving force behind it, and it’s not fair to label him as such.”