NBA insider says there's 'no chance' All-Star signs extension in Cleveland
The Cleveland Cavaliers made aggressive moves to improve this off-season. An ESPN expert thinks it won't be enough to keep their star.
On "The Hoop Collective" podcast, ESPN's Tim Bontemps cast doubt on the idea that Donovan Mitchell would sign an extension with the Cavaliers. Cleveland sent three first-round picks, two pick swaps and three young players (including All-Star starter Lauri Markkanen) to Utah for Mitchell, who was an All-Star starter himself.
"I don't think there's any chance he signs an extension there ever," said Bontemps.
Mitchell is eligible to sign an extension worth 30% of the salary cap this fall, while his current deal pays him $67.5M the next two seasons. He can opt out after the 2024-25 season, which Bontemps believes Mitchell will do.
In fact, the analyst went a step further, saying if he were running the Cavaliers, he'd be trying to trade Mitchell, despite his All-NBA season and career-high 28.3 points per game, including a 71-point effort.
"If it were up to me, I would trade Donovan Mitchell today," Bontemps continued. "Because I don't think the Cavaliers are getting as far as they hope to next year, and I don't think he's going to extend. They'll get a lot more for him with two summers left than with one summer left (before Mitchell can become a free agent)."
Cleveland acted like a team trying to reload, not rebuild, this summer. They committed around $120M to Max Strus, Caris LeVert and Georges Niang to improve their wing depth. They still have All-Stars Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, along with 2021 No. 3 pick Evan Mobley.
While the Cavs won 51 games, they lost to the New York Knicks in the first round in five games. Bontemps simply doesn't think they'll be good enough for Mitchell to commit long-term. Though he doesn't think they'd actually deal him.
"I don't think [trading Mitchell] is what they're going to do," he continued. "Me personally, I think it's more likely they lose in the first round than they win two rounds. In that scenario, I don't see any world where Donovan Mitchell wants to stay there after next season."
After the first time in 25 years that the Cavs made the playoffs without LeBron James, it's very unlikely that they trade their star. With Philadelphia and Miami still waiting out trade requests from James Harden and Damian Lillard, the Eastern Conference could be wide open.
But if Mitchell doesn't extend this fall — which is more likely than not — Cleveland may have to consider their future plans with their star guard. He's not going anywhere right now, but Mitchell may not be in Cleveland past this season.
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