The Cavaliers and star guard Donovan Mitchell have agreed to terms on a three-year, maximum-salary contract extension projected to be worth more than $150MM, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The deal will include a third-year player option, Wojnarowski adds.
Mitchell, who spent his first five NBA seasons in Utah, was traded to Cleveland in 2022 for a significant package of assets that included Lauri Markkanen and three future unprotected first-round picks. Since joining the Cavs, Mitchell has led the team to consecutive top-four seeds in the East and has averaged 27.5 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.6 rebounds in 35.6 minutes per night across 123 regular season games, with a shooting line of .475/.378/.866.
There was plenty of speculation over the past two years that playing outside of a major NBA market and not experiencing significant postseason success may prompt Mitchell to forgo an extension in Cleveland in order to seek a change of scenery. The Cavs were eliminated in the first round in 2023 and eked out a first-round win in Game 7 over the lower-seeded Magic in 2024 before being knocked out in round two.
However, Cleveland has long projected confidence that Mitchell would make a commitment to the franchise, with head of basketball operations Koby Altman publicly reiterating that message on Monday. The coaching change the Cavs made this offseason signaled that management was in alignment with Mitchell, who reportedly didn’t have full confidence in J.B. Bickerstaff and endorsed the hiring of Kenny Atkinson.
Within his full story on the extension agreement, Wojnarowski writes that Mitchell and agent Austin Brown feel good about the partnership with the Cavs and have confidence in the front office’s ability to continue building the roster into a championship contender
Mitchell’s new contract – which will begin in 2025/26, replacing the player option in his current agreement – could have been for up to four years. However, a three-year extension with a player option will put him on track to potentially sign a new deal beginning in 2027, when he has 10 years of NBA experience and will qualify for a maximum salary worth 35% of the cap (instead of 30%). Michael Scotto of HoopsHype first reported last month that Mitchell would likely take this route.
Based on the NBA’s most recent cap projection for 2025/26, Mitchell’s new deal would start at $46,394,100, with a guaranteed $50,105,628 salary for ’26/27 and a $53,817,156 player option for ’27/28. The total would be $150,316,884.
Now that they know they’ll have Mitchell under contract for at least the next three seasons, the Cavaliers can move forward with plans to address the rest of the roster around him.
There were rumors in the spring that the team may consider trades to address the overlapping skill sets in the backcourt (Mitchell and Darius Garland) and frontcourt (Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen) and to better balance the roster. On top of that, one report indicated that a Mitchell extension might prompt Garland’s agent – Rich Paul – to talk to the team about the possibility of finding a new home for his client.
However, Altman indicated in May that he’s not inclined to trade any of the club’s core four players, and reports since then have confirmed that stance hasn’t changed. Additionally, as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com recently pointed out (via Twitter), some of the teams that were considered likely suitors for Garland have already addressed their point guard spot in other ways (e.g. Dejounte Murray in New Orleans; Chris Paul in San Antonio).
Finally!
F*** YEAH!
Now actually do something, Altman.
They are a good team on paper, they just need one of those guys to lead. They all have a similar personality that is laid back.
Mitchell is the clear leader. When it was just him and Allen, the squad rallied around his playmaking and scoring to reel off a big win streak. Garland and Mobley can take command for stretches, but Mitchell leads the squad.
You know I think he can handle point.
Great move
Basically saying F you Rich Paul
Now LeBron will have nowhere to escape to from LA.
LeBron playing Snake Plisskin, lmao. That sounds like a hilarious B-Movie idea.
So you got that reference…
Could people not get it? That’s more surprising to me. That movie is a classic.
How in the world is this about Rich Paul? Did Rich, on behalf of his client EVER express a desire to be traded? Has he said there was a problem? No but you let the random narratives effect your brain and suddenly your mad at Park for reason whatsoever.
Rich Paul is a scumbag
We hear you Nerlens Noel .
Can we hear some self-examination from the loud idiotistic morons, who blasted the Cavs years ago for acquiring Mitchell, because “he’ll sign with NYK” and “he’s gone” etc??
They were very loud and they were a lot…
Most of those also thought it isn’t worth trading current salary filler Quentin Grimes for Donovan…
Both statement proved to be BS
Notice he signed the extension ‘after’ the Knicks acquired Bridges and resigned OB?
He wanted NY. You can catch him frequently at the Mets games as well.
A NY guy showing support for NY sports teams? Say it ain’t so!
Knicks have nothing left at all to aquire anyone else, and nets are in a 5 year tank type of rebuild now so he didn’t go there by force and by choice.
They still have a few 1st round picks left from other teams. Nothing major.
It’s the Knick haters. They’ll attack anything Knicks related.
How they going to diss my guy Sexton, you know the guy shooting 47/39/86 this season with 5 apg like he’s not ballin and worth of being mentioned as a significant part of the hall they gave up to get Mitchell?
I’ll give Sexton his flowers; he’s improved so much as a playmaker and in terms of shot selection and has done a great job of returning from that season-ending injury that kept him out of action in ’22. He’s become an elite 6th man and fully qualified starter, even if his defense will never be playable.
What do you think of Garland. And would you move him.
I would, but only for a quality wing. A guy like Jerami Grant or the like. Most of those guys are currently unavailable, or they can’t be had for Garland. Maybe a three-team deal could get something done.
As for Garland himself, last season’s broken jaw lingered for a long time because he wasn’t able to eat solid food for like a month, which completely effed up his body for the rest of the year (speaking from experience, only the fact that he’s rich and has access to top-quality medical care kept that from becoming debilitating). I think he’s much more like the All-Star caliber PG he was the prior two seasons. However, the fit with him and Mitchell is much more questionable than Allen/Mobley in the frontcourt, since Mitchell is much better with the ball in his hands and so is he, and Garland is a poor defender while Mitchell is only above-average and still undersized for the 2. We have 2-guards in LeVert, Okoro, and Strus, so I’d prefer a high-level wing to balance the roster.
Spida is just locking in his money. Maybe a 10% chance he stays in Cleveland until the end of the contract
What is your point? If he is in Cleveland for a solid two years, that is a nice window. Odds are more likely 80% he’ll exercise his player option as good as the team should be. And if he doesn’t, he’ll be traded for assets to build around. Are you hating on Mitchell or Cleveland or just generally negative?
Go get it Donovan. Cavs have to figure it out. There’s real talent here. Atkinson will help. East is going to be a war next few yrs…..
2/1 PO is a good compromise. It’s unclear if there will ever be a real FA market at his level ever again (PG13, and other fossils unwanted by their current teams, don’t count). But it won’t be 2025 in any event. This gives CLE a chance to contend for 2 years with no noise. It should anyway.