ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has reported that Donovan Mitchell has agreed to a three-year, $150.3M contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The news will end the rumors surrounding his future in Ohio. Mitchell had been tight-lipped over whether he planned to stay with the Cavaliers.
Cleveland has done everything in its power to retain its star guard. For instance, Mitchell had reportedly lost faith in JB Bickerstaff, so the Cavaliers replaced him with Kenny Atkinson, a coach who plays a more offensive style of basketball.
Now that Mitchell’s future is secure, the franchise can begin making moves to improve the roster. Mitchell’s uncertain future hindered its ability to negotiate in free agency. Cleveland couldn’t begin building for the future without knowing what that future would look like.
Questions will quickly emerge over Darius Garland’s tenure with Cleveland. He could choose to request a trade. The fit between him and Mitchell has been questionable over the past few seasons. He may wish to go elsewhere and assume a more prominent role as the primary ball-handler.
Nevertheless, the Cavaliers have an All-Star scorer on their roster for multiple years. They can start surrounding him with the pieces he needs to contend for a championship. The front office can get aggressive in its pursuit of upgrades.
Last season, Mitchell averaged 26.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 55 regular season games. He shot 46.2% from the field and 36.8% from three-point range. If Cleveland can find a high-level wing to complement Mitchell’s skillset, he could take his production to another level.
Cleveland can finally move past Mitchell’s impending free agency. It has been waiting for this moment. The next steps are to make moves that position the team to contend in the near future. What those could look like will remain to be seen.