Cleveland’s future is officially secured as Donovan Mitchell signs a four-year, $273 million extension with Cavaliers, one year earlier than expected. Could LeBron James be next?
Donovan Mitchell has never wavered in his commitment to the city of Cleveland. Now he officially put his money where his mouth is.
On the first day he was eligible to sign an extension with the Cavaliers, Mitchell put pen to paper on a massive four-year deal with the franchise worth $273 million to keep him with the franchise for the foreseeable future. The deal includes a player option for the 2030-31 season and a full trade kicker.
The timing of the deal is key. Mitchell could have easily waited until next summer to sign an even larger extension after reaching 10 years of service time in the NBA. That contract would have paid the 29-year-old $352 million over a five-year span, costing the Cavs over $70 million in cap space each year.
By signing now, Mitchell will still be on the books for $68.2 million per year, but the clarity on his future gives Cleveland at least a small amount of flexibility to plan ahead with him at the center of the team.
This is the second time Mitchell has signed an extension with the franchise. In 2024 he inked a three-year, $150 million deal that included a player option in 2027-28. And while many speculated back then that he wasn't long for the Northeast Ohio, Mitchell has now recommitted to the organization twice since the blockbuster trade that brought him to town in 2022.
The new deal will officially begin next summer when Mitchell's original player option was scheduled to kick in. For now, the Cavs' salary cap situation remains unchanged, with Mitchell slated to make $50.1 million this upcoming season. Cleveland as a whole, still sits $85.4 million over the cap as they continue to tweak their roster.
Those tweaks may include another reunion with LeBron James, who is rumored to be weighing Cleveland as one of his potential options to play for next season. While a several other teams are also rumored to be in the mix for James' services in what could be the final year of his career, the Cavs do present a fitting and competitive landing spot for the Akron native to ride off into the sunset.
It could ultimately come down to money, with Cleveland only being able to offer the veteran minimum at the moment, but could make a trade or two to open up the mid-level exception that would pay $15 million.
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