Last summer, the Cleveland Cavaliers decided to shake things up in order to be a legitimate title contender in the Eastern Conference, with the team making a blockbuster trade with the Utah Jazz to acquire star guard Donovan Mitchell.
The Cavaliers were already on the rise, with Darius Garland and Evan Mobley proving to be two young players the team could build around, but the team was able to take another step forward with the addition of Mitchell, which immediately put them in the conversation with the best of the best in the conference.
Even though Mitchell has two years left on his contract and is eligible to sign a contract extension this summer, it appears that he won’t be putting pen to paper anytime soon.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Mitchell isn’t expected to sign an extension with the Cavaliers this offseason, via NBA on ESPN.
"I do not expect him to sign an extension with the Cavs this summer."@WindhorstESPN on Donovan Mitchell's extension plans. pic.twitter.com/LztgcjqI6V
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 21, 2023
Although Mitchell not signing an extension isn’t a major concern for Cleveland right now, Windhorst makes a good point that the way the perennial All-Star talks about the extension when asked about it will be telling regarding his long-term future with the team.
Windhorst thinks that there’s a chance that Mitchell takes the same route as Giannis Antetokounmpo when talking about his future, which could put pressure on Cleveland to upgrade the roster or think about potentially trading him this season or the next.
Needless to say, things could get interesting in Cleveland with Mitchell either eager to secure his future with the team or leave his options open.
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