The Cleveland Cavaliers have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA this season. Rather than take a step forward off their top-four finish in the East last season with a young roster, they have fallen back: 14-12, eighth in the East with a bottom-10 offense and the net rating of a .500 team. Now the Cavaliers will have to get by in the coming weeks without Evan Mobley (knee scope) and Darius Garland (surgery to repair fractured jaw).
All this has brought Donovan Mitchell trade speculation to the forefront again. Mitchell was brought in to be the offensive engine in Cleveland — he is averaging 27.3 points and 5.5 assists a game this season — and is being paid well to do so at $32.6 million this season. However, Mitchell refused to sign an extension with the team last summer revving up speculation he might want out after this season. Now with the slow first quarter of the season for Cleveland...
Don’t ask Mitchell about it. He wants none of it, as he told Joe Varden of The Athletic.
“My job is to focus on this,” Mitchell said, cutting off my question about his future. “We have two guys that are out, so I’m not answering anything. And no disrespect. I appreciate that you have to ask the question, but I’m not going there with any of those questions. My focus is on these guys being out, us trying to find a way to get wins.”
That’s exactly what Mitchell should say and Cavaliers fans should be happy. It’s possible he’s going to have a breakout in the next few weeks and the Cavaliers’ offense flows better with a more defined pecking order and a less egalitarian flow.
It’s not going to stop Mitchell speculation, and especially Mitchell to the Knicks speculation (remember, that was considered an almost done deal before he landed in Cleveland). The Cavaliers will not trade Mitchell at the deadline (barring a Godfather offer from out of nowhere) but if Mitchell refuses to sign an extension next offseason, things get interesting. Mitchell has two years left on his contract after this one, but the second year is a player option — he can be a free agent in the summer of 2025. If the Cavaliers can’t be sure he will stay, they will have to pivot.
That’s all down the line. Mitchell isn’t going to talk about it now.
