Donovan Mitchell made it clear after the Cleveland Cavaliers were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals that he wasn’t going anywhere. 

Mitchell made good on that word on Tuesday as the superstar shooting guard reportedly signed a new multi-year contract extension to stay in the Wine and Gold through the 2031 season. 

Now that the Cavaliers have their star under contract, here’s what should be next for Cleveland this offseason.

It’s been reported multiple times this offseason that the Cavaliers are exploring trade options involving Dennis Schroder, Max Strus, or both.

The motive behind a potential move centered around either player is clear: moving on from one or both players could provide significant salary relief. Strus is owed $16.6 million, and Schorder is due for $14 million next season. 

Before the Cavaliers make any further moves to upgrade the roster, trading one or both of these players might be necessary to provide Cleveland with more financial flexibility. 

The Cavaliers still haven’t addressed their biggest need this offseason: more wing depth. 

In fact, their starting small forward, Dean Wade, left in free agency and joined former Cleveland general manager Mike Gansey. Keon Ellis isn’t returning to Cleveland either, as he signed a contract with the Brooklyn Nets.

Looking at Cleveland’s roster right now, it has Max Strus and Jaylon Tyson to fill out the wing; that’s it.  Especially with Mitchell limited as an undersized guard, the Cavaliers need a true wing to pair with him, and they just don’t have that right now. 

Perhaps the Cavaliers do end up signing LeBron James, which would immediately fill that void. Jonathan Kuminga would be another great potential addition to the roster, too. 

However, Cleveland can’t go into another season thin on wings, and that’s the reality they face with few free-agent options.

The Cavaliers have a lot of guards on the roster right now, including Donovan Mitchell, Dennis Schroder, Sam Merrill, Craig Porter Jr., Tyrese Proctor, and Meleek Thomas. All signs are pointing toward Cleveland re-signing James Harden at some point this summer, too.

There simply aren’t enough minutes for all of these players, and the roster needs other needs, too.

Knowing Mitchell is officially around for the long haul, moving on from Schroder and one more guard on the depth chart could be a wise move this summer. 

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