NBA Notes: Cavs, Donovan Mitchell, Clippers, Kawhi Leonard, Rockets

Cavaliers

Donovan Mitchell continues to say all the right things about the Cavaliers.

As relayed by ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Mitchell becomes extension-eligible on July 7 and could sign a four-year deal worth roughly $272 million with the Cavs this offseason.

The bigger payday would come a year later.

If Mitchell waits until the summer of 2027, Cleveland could offer him a five-year supermax extension worth approximately $352 million.

Of course, waiting also would mean entering next season with an expiring contract hanging over everything.

Mitchell has repeatedly made it clear he wants to remain in Cleveland, assuming the organization continues competing at a high level.

“I love Cleveland,” Mitchell told The Athletic earlier this offseason. “I want to play here for as long as I can.”

He doubled down on those comments after the Cavs were swept by the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals.

“I love it here,” Mitchell said. “We have unfinished business. This city deserves a ring.”

Now the question becomes whether Cleveland pushes for the immediate extension or whether both sides allow things to play out another year.

Clippers

Kawhi Leonard is extension-eligible again this summer, and despite all the injury concerns over recent years, the Clippers still sound fully committed.

“Our plan is to win with Kawhi,” Clippers president Lawrence Frank said recently.

Leonard, who turns 35 next month, is coming off one of the most efficient seasons of his career.

According to Marks, Leonard averaged 27.9 points while finishing among the league leaders in overall shooting percentage, two-point percentage and three-point percentage. Perhaps most importantly for the Clippers, he also appeared in 66 games — one of his healthiest seasons in years.

Los Angeles outscored opponents by 7.8 points per 100 possessions with Leonard on the floor and was badly outplayed when he sat.

Beginning shortly after the NBA Finals, Leonard becomes eligible to sign a two-year extension worth up to $126.1 million.

That’s a massive number for a player entering his mid-30s with a lengthy injury history.

Still, if the Clippers believe Leonard remains their best path toward contention, some sort of extension appears very possible.

Rockets

Amen Thompson may not yet be a household superstar, but the Rockets already appear to view him like one internally.

Per Marks, Thompson becomes extension-eligible this offseason and could eventually command a max deal approaching five years and $251 million.

That’s how highly league executives think of his upside.

Houston general manager Rafael Stone recently said he expects both Thompson and Tari Eason to remain part of the organization “for the foreseeable future.”

Thompson earned All-Defensive First Team honors in 2025 and took another major offensive leap this past season.

Over his final 22 regular-season games, he averaged 20.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists while continuing to establish himself as one of the NBA’s most versatile young defenders.

According to Marks, opponents shot just 42.8 percent when Thompson served as the closest defender.

There’s also another interesting wrinkle here.

If Thompson were to win Defensive Player of the Year next season, the value of a max extension could rise dramatically under the NBA’s “30 percent rule” language — similar to what happened with Evan Mobley’s extension after his own Defensive Player of the Year season.

In other words, Thompson’s price may only keep climbing.