Cavaliers: Donovan Mitchell reportedly has more power than LeBron James with Lakers

With the Cleveland Cavaliers firing J.B. Bickerstaff last week, their offseason got that much more interesting. However, it might be a little less eventful than people anticipated, given the recent reports on Donovan Mitchell. 

It has been reported since the season ended that there is growing optimism within the Cavs organization and around the league regarding Mitchell’s long-term status with Cleveland. The expectation is that Mitchell will sign a four-year, $208 million dollar extension that will keep him in the Wine and Gold for the next five years.

There have been reports that Mitchell had been losing confidence in Bickerstaff and other players reportedly felt the same way. Bickerstaff’s inability to develop competent in-game strategy and practice plans was part of the gripes players had, as well as the fact that he treated them as a young team with a lot to learn, rather than a group that was ready to compete for championships.

Because of that report, speculation began to develop about Mitchell possibly having a hand in firing Bickerstaff and that he was the reason the Cavs will be looking for a new head man. That speculation only picked up steam due to a recent report from Cleveland and ESPN insider Brian Windhorst addressing how much pull Mitchell really has.

"With possible trades coming, with the type of contract he's going to get offered. With the coaching position open. What Donovan has with the Cavs is what LeBron has with the Lakers. In fact, it might even be stronger because the Lakers have another superstar player on their roster. And LeBron's about to turn 40. Donovan is entering his prime"

- Brian Windhorst

Mitchell having more power than LeBron in LA? Not only does it mean Mitchell will likely be in Cleveland for the long haul, but the fact that he already has this much influence within the organization after only two years is mind boggling.

What Mitchell's influence means for the Cavaliers

If this is true, a lot of the questions about Cleveland’s summer just got interesting. Will Mitchell push to keep his buddy and backcourt mate Darius Garland in town? What about maybe being okay with Jarrett Allen due to the better spacing on offense, which is something Mitchell has said before? Will Mitchell push for the Cavs to hire his mentor Johnnie Bryant as their new head coach? A lot of questions just arose from Windhorst’s latest report.

Windhorst also recently noted that Cleveland's decision to dismiss four-year head coach J.B. Bickerstaff had to do with his fit with Mitchell. The Cavaliers will invest every possible resource into extending Mitchell and building a team that complements him and keeps him happy. While Mitchell never publicly expresses changes he wants to see, the Cavs will not make a move without some level of certainty that it fits Mitchell's skillset and strengths.

It will be interesting to see how much pull Mitchell does have within the organization and it will reflect in the moves or lack thereof this offseason. The bottom line is that the Donovan Mitchell trade rumors can be put to bed for now. Every move the Cleveland Cavaliers are making to improve their relationship with Mitchell, and all of the latest signs suggest optimism the parties will reach an extension.