NBA Insider Says Pelicans Are Team To Monitor For Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell

On his podcast, NBA insider Zach Lowe said the New Orleans Pelicans are a team to monitor for Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell. 

If Mitchell doesn’t sign an extension with the Cavaliers this summer, the thought is that Cleveland will look to trade him before free agency in the summer of 2025.

The Pelicans are a potential team to monitor for Donovan Mitchell, per @ZachLowe_NBA (https://t.co/Nm93msoExT).

New Orleans joins the Heat, Lakers, Nets and Rockets as teams expected to pursue Mitchell this offseason, if he declines an extension from the Cavaliers. pic.twitter.com/T42WC08TRL

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 17, 2024

Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram has been linked to the Cavaliers. If Mitchell doesn’t sign an extension with Cleveland, maybe the Pelicans and Cavaliers complete a Ingram-Mitchell trade. 

Mitchell is under contract for next season and has a $37 million player option for 2025-26, but he is eligible to sign a four-year extension this summer.

If Mitchell becomes a free agent in 2025, he is eligible to sign for a max of five years and $269.9 million with the team that holds his Bird rights (the Cavaliers now) or four years, $200.1 million with a new team.

In his second season with the Cavaliers, Mitchell averaged 26.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists while shooting 46.2% from the field, 36.8% from 3 and 86.5% from the free-throw line. 

The Cavaliers defeated the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs in seven games but lost to the Boston Celtics in the second round in five games. Mitchell missed Games 4 and 5 of the Celtics series because of a left calf injury. 

One of the best players in the NBA, Mitchell has career averages of 24.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists with the Utah Jazz and Cavaliers. He scored a career-high 71 points last season against the Chicago Bulls.

According to NBA insiders Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic, there is a growing sentiment around the league that the Cavaliers will be able to position themselves to receive Mitchell’s commitment for a lucrative contract extension that would keep him in Cleveland past his 30th birthday.