Donovan Mitchell staying in Cleveland
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All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell has agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers, ESPN and others have reported.
Why it matters: The $150 million deal keeps one of the NBA's best players on a roster vying for continued postseason success in a lately strengthened Eastern Conference.
- ESPN's Brian Windhorst called the Mitchell extension the second most important signing in Cavs franchise history, behind only LeBron James' contract in 2014, signed after his four-year dalliance with the Miami Heat.
Between the lines: The Mitchell signing is also a psychological boon for Cavs fans, who've listened to national pundits pronounce for years that Cleveland is merely a pit stop for elite players and that Mitchell's departure was a foregone conclusion.
State of play: The contract includes a player option for the 2027-2028 season. Mitchell could have inked a four-year deal, but the shorter time frame appealed to him for two reasons, per reports.
- It allows him to sign another extension before the 2027-2028 season, when he will have eclipsed 10 years of NBA service and be eligible for a five-year contract worth up to 35% of a team's salary cap.
- It also pressures president of basketball operations Koby Altman and the rest of the Cavs' front office to remain aggressive in constructing a championship-caliber roster around him.
The intrigue: ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Mitchell and the Cavs agreed to the deal on Saturday, though it was not announced until Tuesday morning, a day after the introductory press conference of new head coach Kenny Atkinson.
What we're watching: Meaningfully improving the roster will be a challenge, even if Altman elects to trade either center Jarrett Allen or point guard Darius Garland — each members of the team's "core four."
- Defensive specialist Isaac Okoro looms as the team's top unsigned incumbent free agent. If the Cavs re-sign him, they'll have limited financial wiggle room to sign additional players.
The bottom line: "We have four All-Stars," Atkinson said Monday. "I've got to make it work. That's what they pay me for."