The Cavaliers are fighting a losing battle to keep Mitchell

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell. David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Cavaliers are fighting a losing battle to keep Donovan Mitchell

By Adam Taylor | Last updated Jun 20, 2024 5:09 PM ET

The Cleveland Cavaliers are reaching an inflection point with Donovan Mitchell. He has two years remaining on his current contract, the final year of that deal being a player option.

That means Mitchell could walk away from the Cavaliers next summer with nothing coming to the franchise in return.

As such, Cleveland faces a tough decision this summer. They either sign Mitchell to a contract extension, or they look to trade him and maximize their return. Speaking on a recent episode of ESPN's First Take, Udonis Haslem was skeptical that Mitchell would remain in Ohio.

"I don't know if he's really interested in going back to Cleveland," Haslem said. "I don't think Cleveland is his first choice ... If you look back when he was traded to Cleveland, Cleveland wasn't even on his radar of teams where he wanted to go. It was New York. It was another team down south somewhere. I ain't going to say no names ... He says he's happy there, but he didn't sign the extension, so I'm calling cap."

Of the three NBA head coach openings, @ThisIsUD says the Wizards are the most desirable pic.twitter.com/wMSlLcMkEx
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 27, 2024

Mitchell has consistently refused to comment when questioned about his future with the franchise. His failure to verbally commit to the team should be considered a red flag.

He will draw significant interest in the trade and free agency markets. Cleveland's front office has done everything possible to prove to him that it's possible to win a championship with the franchise.

Currently, the Cavaliers seem to be fighting a losing battle. If Mitchell wanted to re-sign with the team, he could have done so already. He is likely testing the waters to see what options are available to him.

Trading for a star who has shown no indication of being interested in your franchise is always a risk. You're betting on them growing to enjoy the city and the team. Mitchell has said all the right things since being in Cleveland; he just hasn't said the one thing everyone wants to hear.

If the Cavaliers don't get a commitment in the coming weeks, they must start looking for ways to move on from him. Otherwise, they could see him walk for nothing next summer, which would be a disaster.

Adam Taylor

Adam Taylor is a sports journalist based out of the UK. Adam has been covering the NBA for nearly a decade with a core focus on the Boston Celtics. He currently holds bylines with Yardbarker, SB Nation and USA Today

More must-reads: