Optimism for a Donovan Mitchell extension is growing

Recent reports give promising indications for Mitchell’s future in Cleveland.

A potential contract extension for Donovan Mitchell has loomed over the Cleveland Cavaliers all year. Mitchell will not be eligible for free agency until next summer — but securing him to a multi-year deal would bring peace of mind to everyone. According to recent reports, there might not be much for Cavs fans to worry about.

“The Mitchell situation will be resolved this summer,” said a report from The Athletic.

“There is growing sentiment around the league that the Cavaliers will be able to position themselves to receive his commitment for a lucrative contract extension that would keep him in Cleveland past his 30th birthday.”

The Cavs would not hesitate to put a max deal in front of Mitchell after two All-NBA caliber seasons from the 27-year-old guard. The franchise traded a ton of chips to acquire Mitchell and should spare no expense to keep him. One factor in all of this will be appropriately retooling the roster to build a serious contender around Mitchell.

“Teammates have described Mitchell this season as singularly focused on winning and wanting Cleveland to aim much higher than a first-round series victory for its measure of success.”

Satisfying Mitchell’s desire to compete for a title will be the key for Cleveland. Whether this means banking on the continuity/development of the core four — or cleaning house and restructuring the team around Mitchell — the Cavs have the resources to give him what he wants.

Winning appears to be the most important thing to Mitchell. This dampens the big-market bias that has fueled much of the discourse surrounding Mitchell’s future. As far as Mitchell is concerned, there is nothing to complain about playing in a smaller city.

“I am happy in Cleveland. I’ve been happy since I’ve arrived in Cleveland,” Mitchell told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Mitchell was “emphatic” in saying he does not feel disgruntled in any way with his situation in the Land.

Mitchell has also outwardly expressed support for his teammates throughout the playoffs and publicly debunked the notion that he is frustrated with their performances. This type of rallying is not the type of thing you’d expect of a player who has one foot out of the door.

While Mitchell has yet to officially sign an extension — there seems to be enough reason to believe this summer could be less stressful than we imagined.