Momentum seems to be growing that Donovan Mitchell will elect to stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the long term, and one of the most important voices involved in the process has weighed in with some confidence on the subject: Cavs owner Dan Gilbert.
“We’ve been talking to him, sure, for the last couple of years about extending this contract,” Gilbert said Thursday in an interview with the Associated Press. “We think he will extend. I think if you listen to him talk, he loves the city.
“He loves the situation in Cleveland because our players are very young and we’re just kind of putting the core together that he’s clearly the biggest part of.”
Mitchell’s future with the Cavaliers has been a topic of conversation seemingly since the moment he was traded to Cleveland by the Utah Jazz prior to the 2022-23 NBA regular season. It reached a fever pitch this past offseason when Mitchell chose not to commit to a contract extension and has remained at the forefront of any discussion about the Cavaliers.
After many of the rumors leaned toward Mitchell leaving the Cavs for elsewhere, the latest scuttlebutt is now trending toward the 27-year-old deciding to re-sign with the franchise. That includes these optimistic remarks made by Gilbert.
Earlier this week, one NBA insider said the growing sentiment around the league is that Mitchell plans to remain with the Cavs after his contract expires. His current deal, which was signed with the Jazz, extends through next season and has a player option for the 2025-26 NBA campaign.
Also this month, Cavs teammate Georges Niang said that his educated guess would have him leaning toward the All-Star being a Cavalier for a long time.
Those takes are in contrast to earlier ideas that Mitchell may want to leave Cleveland, with some specifically mentioning the New York Knicks based on his ties to that area and comments he made following the Cavs’ loss to the Knicks in the playoffs last season.
Mitchell is currently sidelined by a nasal fracture and knee injury but may be able to return as soon as Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers. He has missed the past six contests, and the Cavs are 2-4 in those games. They have fallen to fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a 44-29 record that has them half a game behind the Knicks for third place.
This recent small sample size without Mitchell is another example of his on-court value to the team. Having him secured for a more lengthy tenure would solidify the future of the franchise for many more years to come.
