Cleveland Cavaliers fans have heard speculation about a Donovan Mitchell extension for months on end. In many cases, they're the ones doing the speculating! In case you've missed out on all of the fun, here are the basic facts of the matter: Mitchell becomes eligible on July 7 for a four-year, $272 million extension with Cleveland. Also, if he waits until next season to sign an extension, he'll be eligible for five years, $352 million.
As it stands now, Mitchell is set to make $50.1 million next season, and he has a $53.8 million player option for 2027-28. So ... what is Mitchell going to do? And are the Cavs even going to offer an extension to Spida this July? Those are the two main questions.
That second question is still worth wondering about from the Cavs' perspective (so okay, yes, some speculating is still necessary). There are warning signs that Mitchell's athletic prime might be coming to an end soon, which would make paying him massive money when he's 34 years old (via extension) a notable risk.
Are Donovan Mitchell and James Harden a championship backcourt? (Eh...)
Beyond the concept of Mitchell's flaws individually, the idea of another year of Mitchell and Harden sharing a backcourt together has depressed certain fans and analysts who point out that such a pairing leaves the Cavaliers way too exposed defensively on the perimeter to be rightfully called a contender. This has led some to speculate that the Cavs might even trade Mitchell!
Yet, everything that Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman said during Friday's exit interview pointed to Cleveland re-investing in Mitchell as its franchise alpha, and as a player whom Altman and the organization believe can lead the Cavs to a championship as their best player.
And what about Mitchell? Well, if his latest interview with Andscape was of any indication, Spida is fully in on Cleveland and wants to be with the Cavs long-term.
Donovan Mitchell just professed his desire (once again) to stay in Cleveland long-term
"I love it here," Mitchell said. "I see growth. I see a runway. I believe. I’ve made Cleveland home outside of just basketball. I don’t want to go. I don’t really know how else to blatantly say it to people for them to believe me. If they don’t believe me, then hey, who cares? I don’t care. The organization knows and everybody in the building knows and feels the way I feel. I’ve been saying this since I first got to Cleveland."
If you take Mitchell and Altman's words at face value, and if you trust that these men aren't lying, then Mitchell's extension situation doesn't feel mysterious at all; in fact, Mitchell signing an extension (whether this summer or next) actually feels quite inevitable.
Add us as a preferred source on Google