The trade that brought Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers has been a resounding success. He has elevated their offense while allowing them to build through their defense, and they will not only make the NBA Playoffs for the first time without LeBron James in 25 years but they will be favored to win a series as well.
However, the real upside to trading for Mitchell was not just this season or even next; it was the prospect of keeping this team together for many years to come. Mitchell, at 26 years old, is the senior representative of this core. Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro and Evan Mobley are all 24 years old or younger.
The big hurdle to the Cavaliers keeping this core together
That should mean this group can continue to grow together and contend in the league for many years to come, but there was one hurdle to that plan. Both Mitchell and Garland signed max rookie extensions coming off of their rookie contracts. Under the current CBA rules, a team can have only two such players on a team.
That was going to be a problem with Evan Mobley eligible for the same rookie extension soon; he could sign it in the summer of 2024 to kick in for the 2025-26 season. Currently, that one season would have three players overlapping on their max extensions, which is against the rules.
There was a small needle the team could have threaded, if Mitchell was open to declining his player option and signing a certain kind of contract extension himself in 2024, but it’s likely that wouldn’t make the most sense for his situation. The other option was Mobley taking less than the max, which his current trajectory suggests will be off the table by the time he gets there.
All of the hand-wringing and the consternation can now cease, however, as a way is being made. The NBA and the NBA Players’ Association just agreed to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that will most likely kick in for the 2023-24 season. While the general gist of business in the NBA will stay the same, a few key changes are occurring.
Some of those changes affect the Cavs, but not more than any other teams; new rules about the luxury tax, restricted free-agent contracts and veteran extensions will all have an impact. Most importantly, however, is one small rule change that could unlock a dynasty for the Cavaliers.
The rule change that can make the Cavaliers into a dynasty
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Bobby Marks have reported that NBA teams no longer have a limit on how many designated max extensions a team can have at one time. Instead of capping them at two, the cap has been demolished entirely.
ESPN Sources w/ @BobbyMarks42: NBA and NBPA agreed to eliminate restrictions limiting a team to two designated super-max players. This would have a huge impact for Cavs, who have Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland on super max deals and Evan Mobley approaching rookie extension. https://t.co/LcI0Zjb3FF
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 2, 2023
The Cavaliers can now sign Mobley to a maximum extension without needing Donovan Mitchell to play ball or do anything disadvantageous to himself or his money. Mobley can make the max, and Mitchell can re-sign at the right time and for a maximum contract or extension as well.
That doesn’t mean Mitchell will absolutely stay in Cleveland; he could request a trade or leave in free agency if he desires. That possibility, however, seems quite distant right now as he leads a team into the playoffs with the league’s second-best net rating. He has found a home that is both maximizing his talents and winning around him. If they can achieve success in the playoffs, leaving this situation will be a difficult decision to make.
There are a number of ways for the next few seasons to go, but one of them is that the Cavaliers gain valuable postseason experience this year, come back next year even better, and win a title in the next few seasons. Then, because of the new changes to the CBA, they get to come back and defend that title and establish themselves as a dynasty.
Winning in the NBA is hard, and it’s more likely they are simply a true title contender but don’t win a bevy of titles. That’s the way it is for most teams. The best-case scenario, however, is now on the table it wasn’t before this change.
The Cavaliers are leaping over every hurdle in their path thus far, and one such hurdle has now graciously been moved out of the way by the new CBA. Even the rules of the league itself are coming together to support this team, one that can keep this special group together for a very long time.