While there are reportedly teams waiting to make trade offers for him if he decides not to sign, there is a “growing sentiment” around the NBA that Donovan Mitchell will wind up inking a maximum-salary extension with the Cavaliers this offseason, according to Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic.
A four-year extension for Mitchell is projected to be worth $200MM+. A new deal would require Mitchell to decline his $37.1MM player option for 2025/26.
A five-time All-Star, Mitchell played at an All-NBA level again in his second season with Cleveland, averaging 26.6 PPG and career highs of 5.1 RPG, 6.1 APG and 1.8 SPG. However, the 27-year-old was limited to 55 games, largely due to a left knee injury, and is thus ineligible for an All-NBA nod — that also means he cannot qualify for a super-max extension.
Mitchell signing a long-term deal with the Cavs after they gave up a major haul of assets to acquire him two years ago is theoretically a major positive for the organization. However, sources tell The Athletic that if Mitchell re-ups with Cleveland, Darius Garland‘s agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, “would have a conversation with Cavs officials on potentially finding a new home for the one-time All-Star.”
The fit of Garland and Mitchell, two diminutive guards who are at their best with the ball in their hands, has long been a question mark. The same is true of the big man pairing of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
According to The Athletic’s trio, Wasserman, which represents Mobley, tried to convince Cleveland not to draft him a few years ago — the agency wanted him to land with the Thunder, who unsuccessfully tried to trade for Cleveland’s (at the time) No. 3 overall pick. The Cavs ignored that ploy, and have maintained a “healthy and positive” relationship with Mobley and his representatives since.
Mobley, 22, is eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer. He finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting in ’22/23.
As for Allen, the former All-Star is coming off a strong season and is on a very reasonable contract ($40MM over the next two seasons). But the rib contusion that sidelined him for the team’s final eight playoff games reportedly “caused frustration toward him in at least some corners of the organization with teammates and staff members who felt he could have done more” to attempt to suit up — according to The Athletic, Allen “refused an injection to try and numb the pain to play.”