4 important things to know before Cavs trade for Donovan Mitchell

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Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz. Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images /

4 things before Cavs trade for Donovan Mitchell: Designated Player Extension

This summer, Darius Garland agreed to an extension off of his rookie deal that will kick in after next season. That deal included potential bonuses if he makes an All-NBA team next season. Such a construct is called a “Designated Player Extension” and it’s a tool that was given to teams in the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to reward homegrown stars.

Two years ago Donovan Mitchell agreed to a very similar contract, likewise working into his deal the elevators for making an All-NBA team. He did not make it the following year, 2020-21, which kept his salary at the lower max number, but he is still on a “Designated Player Extension” and thus any team that trades for him is subject to a quirky rule in the CBA.

An NBA team can only use that “DPE” twice on one roster, and only one of those players can be acquired via trade. Since Garland will be the only player on such an extension for the next few seasons, adding Mitchell as a second is allowable. Teams that already have someone in that category, like the Brooklyn Nets with Ben Simmons, can’t trade for Mitchell.

Where it matters for the Cavs is in a few seasons. Evan Mobley certainly looks like a player who will command a max contract when he becomes eligible. Such a deal would kick in for the 2025-26 season. In that year, Garland will be on his deal and Mitchell on his, which would prevent Mobley from signing it and lose their star big a substantial amount of potential income.

There is a way to thread the needle, however; if Mitchell declines his player option to sign an extension with the Cavs, he would move off of the DPE at the same time Mobley moves into his, and while that particular wrinkle has never occurred since this extension rule was put into place, that seems to check out.

To sum all of that up, trading for Mitchell limits trading for another young star, but the Cavs can probably still manage their current players and make the money work.