Cavs, Donovan Mitchell Agree To Four-Year Max Extension

The new deal will replace Mitchell’s player option for the 2027/28 season and is worth a projected $272.8MM based on the NBA’s latest salary cap estimate. Mitchell’s starting salary will be 35% of the ’27/28 cap, with 8% annual raises. The contract will also feature a fourth-year player option for 2030/31, as well as a 15% trade kicker, Charania adds.

Based on a projected $174MM cap for ’27/28, the year-by-year breakdown for Mitchell’s extension would be as follows:

• 2027/28: $60,900,000
• 2028/29: $65,772,000
• 2029/30: $70,644,000
• 2030/31: $75,516,000 (player option)

A seven-time All-Star, Mitchell had one of the best seasons of his career in 2025/26, averaging 27.9 points, 5.7 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 33.5 minutes per game across 70 outings. He posted a shooting line of .483/.364/.865, earning a spot on the All-NBA second team and placing seventh in MVP voting.

Mitchell, 29, has been a Cavalier since being traded to Utah to Cleveland in 2022. While there were initially some questions about whether the star guard would be willing to commit to the franchise long-term, he has repeatedly shut down speculation about a possible exit, forging a strong relationship with the organization and the city. This will be the second extension he has signed with the Cavs after previously inking a three-year max deal in 2024.

Having made it to the conference finals for the first time in his career this spring, Mitchell told reporters following the Cavs’ elimination at the hands of the Knicks that he loves playing in Cleveland and remains confident in the team’s ability to get over the hump and win a title.

While he didn’t outright confirm at the time that he planned to sign an offseason extension rather than entering 2026/27 on a potential expiring contract, the former Louisville star strongly suggested he was interested in doing so, and president of basketball operations Koby Altman made it clear a few days later that the organization reciprocated that interest.

According to Charania, Mitchell has played a “significant” role in the Cavaliers’ conversations about improving their roster and has been supportive of the front office.

It has been a relatively quiet offseason in Cleveland so far. The team made a single pick in the draft, selecting guard Meleek Thomas 34th overall, and reached a one-year, minimum-salary deal to bring back reserve center Thomas Bryant. However, the expectation is that the team will agree to terms with Mitchell’s backcourt partner James Harden on a new multiyear contract after he declined his player option, and there’s a sense that a reunion with LeBron James is very much in play.