There is reportedly growing expectation for Cleveland Cavaliers star shooting guard, Donovan Mitchell, to sign a contract extension with the team. Mitchell is eligible for a four-year extension projected around $208.5 million. This past season, the All-Star was the subject of plenty of trade speculation. However, much of this speculation has died down as the Cavaliers seem to have plans to make Mitchell their franchise cornerstone for the next few years. However, their other stars have been the subject of trade rumors in the past few weeks.
Growing Expectation for Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell to Sign Extension
Cavaliers Looking to Retain “Core Four”
The Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly hoping to retain their “core four,” of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley. The issue? It has been widely reported that if Mitchell signs an extension, Darius Garland will seek a trade. On top of that, center, Jarrett Allen, has also drawn interest from multiple teams who are searching for an elite rim-protector.
There have been reports of mutual interest between Evan Mobley and the Cavaliers agreeing to a possible contract extension. However, if they do extend Mitchell, keeping all four players could become nearly impossible. Especially if Garland does feel strongly about leaving if the team extends Mitchell, which is becoming more of a likely scenario. Not to mention, the Cavaliers will need to set money aside to upgrade their supporting cast around their star players.
Can Donovan Mitchell Eventually Lead Cleveland to a Title?
The Cleveland Cavaliers finished this season with a win-loss record of 48-34. This was good enough for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. They also spend a good portion of the year at the second spot in their respective conference. However, injuries near the end of the regular season plagued them a bit which resulted them in faltering before the playoffs. Despite this, Cleveland was still one of the top defensive units in the NBA finishing seventh in team defensive rating (112.1).
If the Cavaliers can continue to build around Mitchell correctly and upgrade their supporting cast, then a title in the next few seasons is not out of the question. The key will be adding the right coach and players who know their role and can provide shooting off the bench. A player such as Bruce Brown could be extremely valuable to this Cleveland Cavaliers team. Considering all of this, if Donovan Mitchell does sign an extension with the Cavaliers, then the pressure will be on him to bring the team back to championship contention.
