In the wake of a suggestion that the Cleveland Cavaliers should trade guard Donovan Mitchell, a new report indicates that the team is making every effort to keep the superstar happy.
Sean Deveney of Heavy.com referenced comments that urged a trade of Mitchell, a situation that the Cavaliers are seeking to avoid.
“They’re doing their best to reconfigure things around him and just keep rolling out the red carpet, making sure he knows he is taking care of, all of that,” one source told Heavy Sports. “No one is hitting the eject button on this. There is a lot of cost that’s been sunk into him and they’re going to push forward.”
The comments were made by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, who has spoken about Mitchell’s future in Cleveland before.
“I don't think there's any chance he signs an extension there ever. And if it was up to me, I would trade Donvan Mitchell today.” 😳
– @TimBontemps on Donovan Mitchell’s situation in Cleveland
(Via Hoop Collective / h/t @NBA_NewYork) pic.twitter.com/1nJoiFCwr4
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 24, 2023
Mitchell was acquired by the Cavaliers last year in a blockbuster deal that mortgaged a good deal of the team’s immediate future. In his first season with the Cavaliers, he lived up to his billing and delivered a memorable highlight by scoring 71 points in one game.
Yet, the disappointing end to the Cavaliers’ promising season has increased speculation that Mitchell could leave with the Cavaliers getting nothing in return. That prospect could happen as early as 2025, the year that Mitchell has a player option for the final season of his current contract.
Despite a disappointing playoff series against the New York Knicks for both Mitchell and the team as a whole, the Cavaliers avoided pointing the blame at Mitchell. Instead, the front office sought to upgrade the roster by adding the duo of Max Strus and George Niang.
Offering Mitchell to any team would likely spark a bidding war that would give the Cavaliers plenty of assets for the future. Yet, that worst-case scenario is something the team is seeking to avoid.
The original suggestion of trading Mitchell was based at least partly on the premise that the Cavaliers get off to a slow start for the upcoming season. Right now, there’s no indication that such a likelihood exists.
For one, the Cavaliers are coming off a 51-31 regular season, the first time since the 2017-18 season that they have broken the 50-win threshold. That particular season also marked the final year of LeBron James in a Cavaliers uniform.
The Cavaliers also bent over backward to keep James happy, and he still left to play for the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite that bad memory, the Cavaliers are putting forth a good-faith effort to make sure that history doesn’t repeat itself.
