Cavs Possibly Planning Offseason Around Idea Donovan Mitchell Is Staying

May 22, 2024

It’s hard to say for sure what star guard Donovan Mitchell will do this offseason, but most NBA insiders suggest he will remain with the Cleveland Cavaliers via a maximum contract extension.

Hoops Wire sources are saying the same.

For clarity, no one has said that Mitchell will sign the extension. They are saying they believe he will sign it. It appears the Cavs do, too. Or at the very least, they are said to be optimistic.

So much so that they have already started planning what’s next, with the idea that Mitchell will indeed be around next season and beyond.

“The Cavs remain optimistic that Donovan is signing,” NBA insider Brian Windhorst told ESPN Cleveland. “They believe he’s gonna and I think a lot of their offseason planning is with the strong belief that they’re keeping him.”

As for everything else, at this writing, the Cavs are figuring out what to do with head coach J.B. Bickerstaff (with one rumor suggesting he could move to the front office). They also will have decisions to make on Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and Isaac Okoro, either via potential trades or contract negotiations.

Sources have told Hoops Wire, however, the Cavs are not planning to gut the roster. They are more likely to try to run it back than remake the team.

But it truly does all start with Mitchell, and from the sounds of things, the Cavs are increasingly liking their odds on that front. For starters, they can pay him significantly more than anyone else.

In his second season with the Cavs, Mitchell averaged 26.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists while shooting 46.2 percent from the field, 36.8 percent on 3-pointers and 86.5 percent on free throws.

The playoffs were more of the same, as he erupted for 50 points in a Game 6 loss to the Orlando Magic in the first round. The Cavs narrowly escaped that matchup before losing to the Boston Celtics in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Mitchell missed the final two games of the Celtics series with a calf injury.