Cavs remain committed to Donovan Mitchell-James Harden backcourt

The Cavaliers don’t appear to be making any drastic changes to their backcourt this offseason.

In fact, all signs continue to point toward Cleveland bringing back both Donovan Mitchell and James Harden for another run next season.

Harden has already made his intentions clear. The former MVP said after the season ended that he plans to return, and Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman reiterated how important Harden was to the team’s success after arriving in a midseason trade.

“He helped regalvanize the group,” Altman told reporters Friday. “We’re not in the conference finals without James.”

The Cavs are also expected to work toward a long-term extension with Mitchell, who remains under contract and has repeatedly expressed his commitment to Cleveland.

“All I can tell you is Donovan has been steadfast in how much he loves it here,” Altman said. “There hasn’t been any question of will he be here or does he want to be here.”

Mitchell just completed another All-NBA-caliber season and helped lead the Cavaliers to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time without LeBron James since 1992.

While some fans have questioned whether the Cavs need a major roster shakeup after being swept by the Knicks, the organization appears confident that another offseason together could help Mitchell and Harden build on what they started.

“We’re going to keep pouring into that,” Altman said when asked if Mitchell can be the best player on a championship team.