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.
Even if he had made an All-NBA team, Mitchell would have been ineligible for a super-max extension, since he was traded from Utah to Cleveland two years after signing his rookie scale extension.
Mitchell signing a new 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 then.
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.”
I don’t believe that at all. I do see Bron and Paul playing chess games per usual though.
Lakers have the trade offer ready to send
Their trade offer would easily be beat by many teams. Give it up he is not going to LA.
Rich Paul is a scum bag
For what? Doing what every other agent would do? He world for Garland not the other way around. He didn’t make a dime if he’s traded. But honestly I don’t buy the situation that the two can’t co-exist and don’t buy that they would ask for a trade. Garland’s 23 and 24 season are on par with his all star 22 season. Note from a team standpoint maybe they want a larger guard but that’s another story. To me Mosbey needs to develop his jump shot and be able to operate outside the post.
I’ve said several times that the Cavs do need to trade Garland. Not only for their sake but for his as well. Mitchell and Garland are redundant and Garland is the lesser talent. Keep Mobley though, the kid can be a future superstar. How about Garland for Ingram straight up? It gives the Pelicans a reliable PG and Cavs a good SF. It’s a near perfect trade as long as neither side gets caught up in the “I gotta win this trade B.S.”
I’d be reluctant to play Mitchell at the point. Booker, suns. I don’t have any suggestions what to do with Garland though.
Mitchell took over the point for most of the Cavs 25-5 streak midseason. Not only can he do it, he’s arguably better at it than Garland.
Being arguably better than Garland as a PG is faint praise.
Depends on which version of Garland you’re talking about. Garland when he’s actually healthy? That’s an all-star PG. There’s a reason he got that position the year before Mitchell showed up and was almost the same level last season. His jaw injury and the massive weight loss from not being able to eat messed him up for most of this season. He was fully healthy for maybe a month, max, this year. Having gone through an inability to eat for an extended period (different reason, mine was from gallbladder failure), it can absolutely f*** you up. It took me almost a year to get back to “normal”, more or less. And I imagine it’s worse when you’re a pro athlete trying to push yourself to your physical limits on a daily basis.
Neither can stay healthy my friend. Garland is not in Mitchells class broken jaw not withstanding. You move Garland no brains required.
That would be a good point if that was what we were discussing, lol.
The point is mute. Garland is gone.lol ?
I disagree that a better creator. He do it but that’s not his bag. He’s best as an attacker. Asking him to do both and is asking too much. And the way he plays going to lead to disability concerns. If target keep both.
Oh my I butchered the English language. Pardon the typos.
Interesting trade idea. Would solve a problem for both teams.
You realize that the Pelicans would have the same issue as the Cavs have right now based on the trade you just suggested. CJM is in that backcourt and quite effective. Garland would just confuse the situation in the backcourt.
Mobley a superstar? Lol thats delusion at its finest
Trade idea
Warriors get Garland
Cavs get Wiggins, Moody and a Future First
lmao curry, cp3, and garland
Nothing he ever posts is thought out. It’s foreign.
CP3 is a free agent and is as good as gone. Probably to the Lakers or Suns.
He isn’t a free agent yet. Warriors haven’t declined his option yet. Most likely will be picked up and used in trade
And that helps how? Wigging is damaged goods and not a top of rotation option. Moody has shown nothing and the GSW pick is likely to be in the 12-20 range.
I wonder if Allen was worried about ending up like Tyrod Taylor. In any case, this is now two straight postseasons that have left people questioning Jarrett’s toughness. Tough to get proper value for him with his salary where it is though
Just the opposite. Teams will fall all over themselves to get that kind of talent at $20M a year.
Bro, Allen is a top 12 C, a top defenseive player, comparing him to Tyrod Taylor is crazy
Allen’s nickname should be pillow. He has the pain threshold of a newborn. Soooo disappointing. 3 seasons ago he missed the final 22 games with a broken finger. He’s just as soft as they come
Broken finger is soft? Bro he bangs in the issue for rebounds, block shots and dunks. You kinda need use of your hands and fingers to do that. They take a beating.
Why do we have half a roster that never gets playing time?
Because you wouldn’t have been in the playoffs if they did.
Mitchell’s proficiency at PG, or lack of it (and he’s displayed both in his career) shouldn’t be the main issue in a decision to trade Garland. Based on Mitchell’s PG experiences in UTH, I don’t think, at the end of the day, he’ll be a full time PG, but that’s a separate issue. It also shouldn’t require Garland, or his agent, to request a trade.
The CLE FO, on its own, should be able to conclude that Mitchell and Garland haven’t made the kind of combined 2 way impact that would be required to maintain a backcourt of max teammates through the next round of extensions. In a salary cap league when 2 + 2 = 3, after two seasons, its time to do some work.
Stay in Cleveland why?
It’s going to be a sign and trade situation between the Lakers and Cavs. Bron going home to play with Bronny and Mitchell to LA to pair with AD. Other parts (players/draft picks) will be added.
If LBJ were to come back he’d likely want Mitchell to be there too. No way he would insist on a sign ABA trade for Mitchell when he can just come here as a free agent. They could likely get creative and find other ways to create cap space. And I do think he would take less to play with Bronny.
He would be wise to take the bag
I’m wondering if Bronny’s parents weren’t attending a Cavs game to talk to the Cavs about Bronny playing for the G-league there. That might explain Paul’s presence. It seems pretty obvious LeBron is negotiating to stay in LA, but he has hinted that his son may go elsewhere. Where better than Cleveland, where he has a home and family connections? Unlikely to be drafted and not ready for the NBA, Bronny can choose his environment. The Cavs have a history of grooming undrafted players with the Charge and treating them well. (cf. Wade, Porter, Bates, Stevens)