All eyes are on the Cleveland Cavaliers ahead of the offseason.
After battling past the Orlando Magic in the First Round, the Cavs met their match when they advanced in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. Facing a terrific Boston Celtics squad, Cleveland’s hopes of reaching the NBA Finals were crushed. With Jarrett Allen missing the entire series and Donovan Mitchell sidelined for their final two games, the Cavs only managed one win in the semifinals.
Cleveland’s playoff run didn’t necessarily feel abbreviated though.
Even if completely healthy, the Cavs faced an uphill battle against Boston, who went 64-18 in the regular season. For reference, Cleveland was 48-34 in 2023-24. They were 1-2 in their regular season series against the Celtics.
Nonetheless, it’s possible that their dreams were dashed because their postseason run was punctuated by injuries.
Donovan Mitchell Addresses Looming Contract Decision
Following their playoff elimination, word quickly spread that Cleveland may have to split up their star backcourt. Mitchell has several purported trade suitors, namely the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans, Minnesota Timberwolves, and both teams in New York. Darius Garland has primarily been linked to the San Antonio Spurs. However, the Wolves, Lakers, and Pelicans are looming in the background.
With regard to New Orleans, their front office is led by former Cavs general manager, David Griffin. Griffin left the Cavs in 2017, long before Garland was drafted. Nonetheless, his ties to Cleveland’s front office and the Pelicans’ need for a starting point guard make New Orleans a realistic destination.
The Brooklyn Nets, another point guard needy team, could also take a swing at Garland. Like the Pelicans, Brooklyn has a volume scorer that they could send to Cleveland in exchange for the floor general. While New Orleans could ship off Brandon Ingram, the Nets could move on from Cam Thomas. Both are good enough to help the Cavs stay afloat without Garland. In 2023-24, Ingram averaged 20.8 points and 5.7 assists per game. Thomas averaged 22.5 points per game.
That being said, while the Cavs are fond of both Mitchell and Garland, they’d likely pick the former if forced to choose between them. Mitchell is more established, more reliable, and more productive. Indeed, he’s never had a single season in which he averaged below 20 points or 1 steal per game. To compare, Garland’s accomplished that feat twice in five seasons.
Waiting on Donovan Mitchell
The biggest problem for Cleveland is that Mitchell’s future with the team isn’t up to them.
With a player option on Mitchell’s contract for the 2025-26 season, the Cavs are optimistic that the two sides will agree to a contract extension before he becomes a free agent. Yet, his camp has been coy about his upcoming contract decision. The five-time All-Star has repeatedly said he’s been happy in Cleveland. Still, reports paint a picture of dissatisfaction, Mitchell perturbed by the Cavs being overly reliant on his talent.
Following the Cavs’ loss to the Celtics in Game 5, Mitchell addressed the questions about his future with the team in an exchange with ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
“He said to me, ‘I know I’ve got decisions to make this offseason. My agent and I will talk to Cleveland about that at the right time,’” reports Wojnarowski.
Donovan Mitchell told @wojespn he and his agent will meet with the Cavaliers “at the right time” to discuss his future with the organization.
Mitchell is eligible to sign a 4-year, $209 million extension.
If Mitchell declines, it likely sets in motion a trade out of Cleveland. pic.twitter.com/A8unSAYetI
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 17, 2024
“But he emphasized,” Wojnarowski continues, “‘I’m not leaving this season unhappy. I’m leaving it more determined.’”
Can the Cavs Hold Onto Him?
Winning is Mitchell’s primary focus at this point of his career. Consequently, the overall competitiveness of the team he plays for will be a significant factor his desire to re-sign. To that point, the Cavs have reached the playoffs in both seasons that he’s been there. Among the teams known to have interest in Mitchell, only the Heat, Lakers, and Knicks have clinched back-to-back playoff berths in that time.
Whether they’ll offer enough in a trade package is an entirely different matter. The best players that those three teams would likely offer the Cavs in exchange for Mitchell are Jimmy Butler, LeBron James, and Julius Randle. All three forwards are capable of putting up 25-5-5 on a nightly basis.
However, if those teams were to keep those three off the tables, the conversation turns to players like Tyler Herro and Austin Reaves. Both wings are certainly well-liked. Nonetheless, they’re unlikely to impact wins on the level of an offensive engine like Mitchell.
