Donovan Mitchell wants to stay with Cavs ‘forever,’ see No. 45 in rafters

Donovan Mitchell isn’t picturing his next NBA stop. He’s picturing his jersey hanging above the Cavaliers’ court.

“I don’t ever want to wear another uniform. I don’t have that vision,” Mitchell told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “Business is business. I understand how that works. There may be a situation where we may not be in a position to win anymore and business happens, right?”

His preference, though, couldn’t be much clearer.

“I dream of myself being here forever and hopefully having 45 in the rafters one day.”

Mitchell has backed those words with two contract extensions since arriving in Cleveland in the 2022 trade with the Jazz. His latest agreement, signed in July, is a four-year maximum deal that runs through at least 2029-30, with a player option for 2030-31.

That commitment followed a painful finish to last season, when the Knicks swept the Cavs in the Eastern Conference finals before winning the championship. Mitchell said immediately afterward that he loved Cleveland. He then signed another extension at his first opportunity.

“But the purpose behind this (latest) extension is to be here forever,” Mitchell said. “I’ve got to deliver. We’ve got to deliver. I’m not saying an extension guarantees a championship. But that’s the goal. It’s why I wake up every morning. I don’t want to be anywhere else. I don’t see it. Can’t ever picture it.”

The connection extends beyond basketball. Mitchell told Fedor that he and his wife have found comfort in Cleveland, something he couldn’t have fully understood when he first arrived.

“One thing I felt when I first got here was home,” he said.

Mitchell cited the organization’s investment in winning, including a new practice facility, alongside the everyday comforts of knowing his neighbors and feeling settled.

“I feel safe. I know my neighbors. You feel at ease. You feel peaceful,” he said. “That’s all part of it. I always talk about my wife liking Cleveland. That’s a big part of it too.”

He also acknowledged that his initial impression might have been different had he experienced Cleveland only through road trips and hotel stays. Living there changed his understanding of the city, while the Cavs’ progress strengthened his belief in the team.

“Obviously, I haven’t delivered on a championship and it’s a team thing,” Mitchell said, “but we’re putting ourselves in a position to be right there.”