This Cavaliers Move Was Named Most Impactful of NBA Offseason

Donovan Mitchell's decision to sign a contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers has shaken the NBA landscape.

May 5, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates after hitting a three point basket during the second half against the Orlando Magic in game seven of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers may not have made any trades or free-agent signings this offseason (yet), but they have taken care of a lot of in-house stuff.

Namely, the Cavaliers have signed three of their top players to contract extensions: Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

Mitchell inked a three-year deal with Cleveland, squelching any talk that the Cavs may trade him in the foreseeable future.

It was a surprising move to some, and also a major one for Cavaliers culture moving forward.

As a matter of fact, Cleveland's agreement with Mitchell was so significant that Michael Saenz of Sir Charles In Charge has named it the most impactful move of the NBA offseason.

"Not only does it cement the Cavs as a contender in the Eastern Conference for the next few seasons, but it also puts teams like the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, and others at a potential crossroads in their respective builds," Saenz wrote.

In other words, teams that were hoping to land Mitchell are now going to have to start looking elsewhere.

The Cavaliers initially landed Mitchell in a blockbuster trade with the Utah Jazz in September 2022. Mitchell went on to average 28.3 points per game on a true-shooting percentage of 61.4 percent in his debut campaign in Cleveland, marking career bests in both categories.

This past season, the 27-year-old took a bit of a step back, registering 26.6 points per game on 46.2/36.8/86.5 shooting splits, but he still managed to make his fifth straight All-Star appearance.

The Cavs have made it to the playoffs in each of Mitchell's first two seasons with the club, advancing to the second round this past spring.