Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell’s desire to stay with the franchise has become a major talking point in the NBA rumor mill dating back to the offseason. Well, the rumors are as hot as ever as several teams around the league are reportedly monitoring Mitchell’s “happiness” in Cleveland, per Hoops Hype.
It’s no secret that the Cavaliers’ top priority is to sign Mitchell to a long-term deal. The 27-year-old is still under contract until next season but has the option to opt out of a $37 million player option for the 2025-26 campaign, which many teams expect him to do.
The report also notes that should the Cavs make him available, a flurry of teams would target landing Mitchell in a blockbuster trade. As expected, the New York Knicks headline those teams, as they’ve been linked to the four-time All-Star for quite a while now.
Nonetheless, it doesn’t seem like the Cavs are in a hurry to make any drastic moves anytime soon. Cleveland is still very much a dark-horse contender in the Eastern Conference with a promising core that includes Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.
The Cavaliers won 51 games last year and made the postseason as the 4th seed. Unfortunately, their 2022 NBA playoff run ended in disappointment as they fell to the New York Knicks in the first round in five games.
Cleveland’s start to the 2023-24 NBA season hasn’t also gone as desired. The team currently sports a 10-8 record and sits at No. 8 in the East standings. If the Cavs continue to trend in the wrong direction, Mitchell could very well bolt in the summer of 2025 and sign with a bigger market.