NBA Insider Explains What It Would Take For Donovan Mitchell To Sign Extension With Cavs

The Athletic's Sham Charania joined 92.3 The Fan to discuss the state of the Cavaliers and what it would take for them to reach a long-term agreement with Donovan Mitchell after this season.

It's the constant elephant in the room when it comes to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Will Donovan Mitchell commit to the franchise by signing an extension this summer?

Reporting over the last year has suggested that home is where Mitchell's heart is, as he dreams of playing for his hometown New York Knicks – the team he thought he was going to when he was traded from the Jazz in September of 2022. That may still be the case in terms of Mitchell's desires, and may even deter him from committing to Cleveland this offseason. Then again, Mitchell could always change his mind as well.

According to NBA Insider Shams Charania of The Athletic, the latter scenario is still very much in play for Mitchell, depending on where and when this current season comes to an end.

"My sense on Donovan Mitchell right now is that he's fully focused on this season," Charania said during an appearance on 92.3 The Fan's Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima. "And trying to go as deep in the playoffs as possible with this roster. I think everything kind of takes care of itself in a lot of ways just based on results, based on the team, based on how they're doing camaraderie wise." 

It's not a new phenomenon around the NBA for a player to weigh their options based on the results of their current team. Mitchell is playing some of the best basketball of his career at the moment and has Cleveland well positioned as the No. 2 seed in the east after winning 14 of its last 15 games. This season is trending towards being a special one if that can continue. 

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Should the Cavaliers fall short again though, or stumble in the opening round of the playoffs like they did against the Knicks last year, Mitchell may remain non-committal and look towards greener pastures. Charania didn't neglect to mention the links between Mitchell and the two teams positioned near the Big Apple.

"Obviously everyone talks about New York, everyone talks about Brooklyn," Charania asserted. "Those are the two when you talk to people around the league. But New York has Jalen Brunson. They've got Julius Randle. We know from a ball dominant perspective those are the two guys. Can you slide Donovan Mitchell in there, how does he play with Brunson? How similar, how dissimilar is that from playing with Darius Garland and Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen? Is the grass greener? And Brooklyn, they're a team that's 10 games under .500.

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"The one consistent thing I've heard around Donovan Mitchell all year is he wants to win. I think there's a level of pride, a level of legacy that he wants to build for himself. And he knows that winning and winning big is at the crux of that. That will all take care of itself based on how the Cavs perform in the playoffs."

Roster wise, Cleveland has assembled a nice, young core around Mitchell, and he's really embraced a key leadership role with the group, which is good to see. Ultimately though, as Charania pointed out, any decisions from Mitchell regarding his future with the franchise will likely to come down to what Cleveland does in the postseason.

That makes the months ahead very important for the Wine and Gold.