Cleveland Cavaliers expecting good news from Donovan Mitchell contract negotiations

Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers

After being eliminated in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a huge summer ahead. J.B. Bickerstaff has been canned, and the search is on for his replacement, but that’s not even the biggest item on Cleveland’s agenda.

Donovan Mitchell and his future with the Cavaliers is a much more important issue in Cleveland.

After trading five first-round picks, plus All-Star Lauri Markkanen, the Cavs can’t exactly afford to lose their franchise player as a free agent. Trading him won’t bring back nearly the same haul as they gave up, being that he’s now entering what’s likely the final year of his contract.

For now, Mitchell is set to earn $35.4 million in 2024-25, and he also has a $37 million player option for 2025-26. Yet, if Mitchell continues to play at an All-Star or All-NBA level, you can bet he’ll be opting out to sign an even larger contract.

However, the Cavaliers can also sign Mitchell to an extension this summer to ensure he remains in Cleveland for several more years.

Teams will surely be calling to try trading for the five-time All-Star, and the rumors have already begun, but internally, the Cavaliers feel very confident in their ability to extend Mitchell this offseason.

“There is a lot of optimism around the Cavs that they’re going to get a commitment from Donovan Mitchell on a 4-year $208 million dollar extension.”

Shams Charania on Donovan Mitchell

Getting Mitchell under contract through the 2028-29 season would give Cleveland a lot more confidence in their future, knowing the face of their franchise won’t leave next summer. Plus, having Mitchell locked in should only help during their head coaching interview process too, because who wouldn’t want to coach a roster full of stars?

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