One of the biggest storylines in the NBA for the last few months has been the future of Cleveland Cavaliers guard, Donovan Mitchell. Since he was acquired by the team during the 2022 NBA offseason, there have been questions about how long he would remain with the franchise for.
Based on the price that the Cavaliers paid, they were certainly hopeful that it would be for a long time. Since bringing Mitchell aboard, Cleveland has had their most successful performances on the court in decades without LeBron James on the roster.
However, rumors persisted that Mitchell would not be long for Cleveland. A first-round exit against the New York Knicks in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, the team Mitchell desperately wanted to be traded to, certainly didn’t help.
Injuries to Darius Garland and Evan Mobley earlier this season put Mitchell in NBA trade rumors once again. But, he played like the star he is portrayed to be and helped not only keep the team afloat, but help them thrive without key contributors.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Dan Gilbert, Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers Updates
Thanks to his heroic performance during that stretch, the Cavaliers are in the mix for homecourt advantage in the Eastern Conference. But, without Mitchell in the lineup, their spot in the standings is tenuous as they are struggling without their star player.
It will be interesting to see what happens with the Cavaliers over the next few weeks. Another early postseason exit will cause the Mitchell rumors to pick up once again. But, that isn’t something Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is phased by, as he made a bold statement about the future of Mitchell on Thursday afternoon.
Gilbert, while speaking to the AP, expressed confidence that Mitchell would be making Cleveland a long-term home. The sides have been talking about a contract extension and Gilbert believes that one will get done.
“We’ve been talking to him, sure, for the last couple of years about extending this contract,” Gilbert said Thursday in an interview with The Associated Press. “We think he will extend. I think if you listen to him talk, he loves the city.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Dan Gilbert, Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers Updates
“He loves the situation in Cleveland because our players are very young and we’re just kind of putting the core together that he’s clearly the biggest part of.”
That is certainly a bombshell prediction from Gilbert. Mitchell, who signed a five-year, $163 million deal with the Utah Jazz in 2020, is under contract through 2026. But, the final season of his deal is a player option, which he will almost certainly decline, should he make it that far. This offseason, Mitchell is eligible to sign a four-year extension worth about $200 million.
It will be interesting to see if Mitchell is willing to sign that extension a year early, especially if the Cavaliers don’t make some noise in the NBA postseason. Another lackluster performance and the whispers about him looking for an exit are only going to get louder.
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