The Cleveland Cavaliers had two main priorities when they started the 2024 summer. One of them entails attempting to secure the signature of standout shooting guard Donovan Mitchell on a contract extension. The search for a new head coach after JB Bickerstaff was fired by the Cavaliers was the other issue.
The latter has apparently been addressed already, with Cleveland reportedly choosing Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson as the successor to Bickerstaff. That also means that New Orleans Pelicans assistant James Borrego’s dreams of coaching the Cavs have reached an end.
Which takes us back to Mitchell, who the Cavs should now be paying more attention to now that the coaching problem has been resolved.
The Utah Jazz traded Mitchell to Cleveland in 2022, and while he still has two years left on his current contract, Mitchell does not need to sign a new one in order to continue playing for the Cavs. If he chooses not to exercise his player option for the 2025–2026 NBA season, which is valued at over $37 million, he may potentially find himself on the free agent market as early as 2025. It is also the main reason the Cavaliers need to get Mitchell to sign a new contract.
According to The Athletic, Mitchell and the Cavaliers seem to be headed in the right way in this regard.
“Team and league sources stated that the Cavs’ executives want to offer Mitchell a four-year, $209 million maximum contract as the team’s coaching search draws closer to a potential conclusion. Regarding the coaching search, Mitchell is drawn to offensive-minded coaches like Borrego and Atkinson who appreciate ball movement and attack variety.
It’s important to note that The Athletic released that information just before rumors spread that Atkinson had been hired by the Cavaliers.
