Although he has been mentioned in trade rumors several times in recent months, Donovan Mitchell has now committed to the Cleveland Cavaliers for the next few years.
Mitchell and Cleveland agreed to a new three-year contract worth $150.3 million on Tuesday, which includes a player option for the 2027-28 season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The deal was confirmed by Mitchell, who posted the famous “I’m not fucking leaving” clip from the wolf of Wall Street on X:
The structure of the deal is notable because Mitchell was eligible to sign for up to four years and $207.8 million, but agreeing to a three-year extension with a player option will potentially allow him to hit the market when he turns 30.
The Louisville product was previously under contract through the 2024-25 season with a $37.1 million player option for the 2025-26 campaign.
Notably, Shams Charania The Athletic and Stadium magazine reported in May that Cleveland had “a lot of optimism” that Mitchell would re-sign to a four-year contract following the firing of head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and the subsequent hiring of Kenny Atkinson.
This optimism proved justified.
Mitchell also gave a hint of how he envisions his contract decision playing out when he told reporters at media day ahead of the 2023-24 season that he wouldn’t sign the extension this year but could still do so in the future.
“I want to make it known that I still have the option to sign an extension next summer,” he said. “I don’t think many people understand that aspect.”
Mitchell said his goal is to win a championship and he’s “really excited about what we have here. We could do something special. Ultimately, when the season is over, we’ll get there.”
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com explained that Mitchell was eligible for a three-year extension worth about $150 million in the 2023 offseason, but that he could get an extra year on his contract and more money if he waited to sign until this offseason. That left little incentive to rush out for an extension at the time of those comments.
President of basketball operations Koby Altman also seemed to agree with the idea.
“The conversations with him have been very positive: the composition of the roster, the way we want to play this year, how you coach your teammates, where we work in the offseason,” he said at the time. “I know he wants to be a part of this project. He’s going to be very excited to start this season and try to win big.”
Mitchell is now part of the Cavaliers for the foreseeable future and should be a driving force for them.
He wasted no time making an impact with the team as a Second Team All-NBA selection in his first season in Cleveland, while averaging 28.3 points, 4.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game on 48.4 percent shooting from the field and 38.6 percent shooting from deep.
The Cavaliers were disappointed by their first-round playoff exit, but the future still looked bright with Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen leading the way.
Last season, he averaged 26.6 points, 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from three-point range en route to his fifth straight All-Star nomination.
Cleveland advanced to the second round of the playoffs with a first-round win over the Orlando Magic, but lost in five games to the Boston Celtics. Mitchell was sidelined for the final two games of the series against Boston with a calf injury.
Mitchell was also a three-time All-Star in his five seasons with the Utah Jazz and established himself as one of the league’s best shooting guards. He can take over games with his outside shooting and ability to attack the basket, and he’ll likely remain a focal point of Cleveland’s offense for years to come.
He will now also benefit from some contractual stability as he targets the first championship of his career.
News Source : syndication.bleacherreport.com
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