Donovan Mitchell Agrees to Extension With Cleveland Cavaliers
According to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Donovan Mitchell has agreed to a three-year, $150.3 million max contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The deal includes a player option for the 2027-28 season.
This is a great deal for both sides. The Cleveland Cavaliers, who hired Kenny Atkinson to replace J.B. Bickerstaff, have some much-needed stability.
Since acquiring Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz, the NBA headlines have been how long until he departs? Those rumors can now officially be put to bed with the long-term extension being agreed upon.
For the All-Star shooting guard, this deal is good because it puts him in a position to land a supermax deal in 2027. By that time, he will have reached the 10-year service criteria and be eligible for a five-year extension worth north of $380 million.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have found plenty of regular season success since acquiring Donovan Mitchell. They made the playoffs both seasons with him on the team, earning homecourt advantage both times.
In 2023, they were the fourth seed and defeated by the New York Knicks in the first round. This year, they were the No. 4 seed again but were able to defeat the Orlando Magic in seven games to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
This is the most successful stretch the franchise has had without LeBron James being on the roster in three decades. Locking up Donovan Mitchell long-term was imperative to the franchise continuing to take steps forward and building off this success.
It will be interesting to see what else they do in the remainder of the 2024 NBA offseason. Rumors have swirled about potential trades, as point guard Darius Garland could be on the move. The team has also been loosely linked to Brandon Ingram of the New Orleans Pelicans.