Sports
Donovan Mitchell Trade Rumors: Rival NBA Execs Monitoring Cavs Star's 'Happiness' – Bleacher Report
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell is still under contract through next season, but NBA teams are reportedly “monitoring” his “happiness,” presumably in hopes of potentially swooping in and landing him down the road, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto:
“Rival NBA executives are monitoring Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell’s happiness in Cleveland. Mitchell is signed through next season before a $37 million player option for the 2025-26 season, which many around the league expect him to eventually decline.
“Cleveland wants to sign Mitchell to a long-term contract down the line and is in no rush to move him after making offseason moves to improve the team around him and the team’s core, including the offseason additions of his former Jazz teammate Georges Niang and former Heat sharpshooter Max Strus.”
Mitchell, 27, is in his second season in Cleveland after landing with the Cavs in a blockbuster trade with the Utah Jazz. The four-time All-Star is averaging 28.0 points per game.
It’s only natural for franchises to do their due diligence on Mitchell, a bona fide superstar who just made the All-NBA Second Team. If Mitchell has no plans on signing long-term in Cleveland, he very well could be made available before potentially hitting free agency in 2025.
The Cavs do have the pieces around him to compete in Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and offseason acquisition Max Strus, among others.
That hasn’t resulted in a tremendous amount of success just yet. Cleveland won 51 games last year but fell in five to the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs. This year’s team is tied for seventh in the East at 10-8.
We’ll see how Cleveland’s season develops, which could certainly have an impact on Mitchell’s future and decisions.
However, Scotto noted that “a bevy of teams, including the Knicks, will be among those heavily interested” if Mitchell is made available.
The Knicks are an obvious team to link here, considering they were in the mix on acquiring Mitchell in the offseason before losing the sweepstakes to the Cavs. They are off to a 10-7 start.
For now, though, Mitchell remains with the Cavs as they look to improve upon their start. A two-game win streak has certainly helped matters, and Cleveland will look to increase it to three on Thursday versus the Portland Trail Blazers.