Cavs Notes: Donovan Mitchell, Koby Altman, Emoni Bates

Star guard Donovan Mitchell just finished his first year in Cleveland and the Cavaliers are hoping there’s plenty more to come.

Their chance to do something about that arrived over the weekend, as Friday was the first official day the Cavs could submit a contract extension offer to Mitchell. As it stands, he has two years left on his current deal, along with a $37 million player option for 2025-26. 

It’s not secret the Cavs intend to the the ball rolling in that department, as president of basketball operations Koby Altman said there will be “internal discussions” about a Mitchell extension offer.

“He’s really, really happy here and he’ll tell you that,” Altman told reporters. “All I can go off is Donovan’s actions and his intentions. He’s with us in (at the Las Vegas Summer League) right now. He’s super excited about the future.

“He’s been in Cleveland multiple times this offseason already. He’s worked out with guys, he’s bringing guys with him wherever he is. All you can go off are those actions and how genuine he talks about his experience in Cleveland. I think he sees the runway of the players around him and the youth around him. All I can go off is his actions and his intentions and they’ve all been really genuine.”

Mitchell, of course, repeatedly has been linked to the Knicks, given he’s from New York. But most of that has been media-driven. If the Cavs continue to compete and perhaps contend, there’s a sense around the league that Mitchell would be just fine with staying.

• Altman also addressed the Cavs’ offseason acquisitions, saying that Mitchell even helped in the recruiting process. Those names — guard/forward Max Strus (acquired via trade), forward Georges Niang, guard Ty Jerome and center Damian Jones.
• All of the free agent signees had other options. “This is the team they wanted to come to,” Altman said. “They saw the fit. They saw the upside. They think that we can go a long way.” 
• Altman also stressed that the Cavs are focused on keeping the core of last season’s team together, brushing aside chatter that they may have been shopping Darius Garland. Altman called it “the most crazy rumor you’ve ever heard in your life.”
• In case you missed it, the Cavs signed second-round pick Emoni Bates to a two-way contract. We have that full post here.
• Altman on Bates: “There’s no expectation here. Don’t have to come in here and shock the world. Really learn from this group and have fun again. If he blossoms into a rotational player down the road that can really help us space the floor and shoot, which I think is one of his best traits, that’d be great. But no expectation for him and certainly have patience and let him grow.”