How Celtics Extending Jayson Tatum Impacts Donovan Mitchell, Cavs

The Celtics just handed Jayson Tatum a massive extension, but what does this mean for Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers moving forward?

Dec 12, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives the ball against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) in the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics just gave Jayson Tatum a five-year, $315 million contract extension, good for the largest deal in NBA history. It's a nightmarish scenario for the Cleveland Cavaliers and everyone else in the Eastern Conference, as the Celtics (who also extended Derrick White) are keeping their core group together for the foreseeable future.

So, just what does the Tatum contract mean for the Cavaliers moving forward?

Well, first of all, I don't think anyone is surprised that Boston extended Tatum. This was largely expected, especially after the C's won the championship. But it's the fact that the Celtics have all of Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, White and Kristaps Porzingis under contract for multiple years (Porzingis' deal expires at the end of 2026) that makes this so scary.

Right now, Boston is the class of the NBA. There is no debating that. The Celtics just won 64 games and steamrolled through the playoffs. They went 16-3 in the postseason. That included a five-game second-round series win over Cleveland.

Should this change how the Cavs function? Better yet, will it change how Donovan Mitchell operates?

Mitchell isn't aloof. He sees what is going on. He understands that Boston isn't going anywhere. He has also seen Eastern Conference competitors make some big moves to improve while the Cavaliers have done a whole lot of nothing in the early stages of the offseason.

With this stop Mitchell from signing his contract extension? Probably not. Mitchell—whose current deal expires at the end of next season—is widely expected to re-up with Cleveland, but the four-year, $209 million deal that is on the table may not be to Mitchell's liking.

We have already gone over the financial aspect of this. A two-year deal with an option for a third year would be the superior bet for Mitchell from a monetary perspective. If he signs such a pact and opts out after 2026, he would have a decade of NBA service time, which would put him in line for a max deal where he would get paid 35 percent of the salary cap rather than 30 percent.

But the more Mitchell sees the teams around him getting better, the more he may want to leave open an escape hatch if things in Believeland don't get any fitter.

The Cavs finished with the fourth seed in the East this season. They were one game ahead of the Orlando Magic, who they beat in seven games in the first round of the playoffs. The same Magic team that just signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency.

There wasn't much separating Cleveland from Orlando this year. The Cavaliers definitely look like the better team on paper, but clearly, they aren't. Unless Evan Mobley takes a major step under first-year head coach Kenny Atkinson, the Magic may be every bit as good—if not better—than the Cavs next season. I'm using Orlando as the example because it is far from being a legitimate championship contender.

The Cavaliers seem to be perfectly content with their roster as is, or at least that's how it looks from the outside. Yes, I understand that Cleveland does not have the cap room to sign top-tier free agents, but the Cavs' front office also seems allergic to making trades.

The Cavaliers are insisting that they don't want to move Darius Garland or Jarrett Allen. Barring a dramatic turn of events, Mobley is surely untouchable.

How, then, will Cleveland get better?

That may be what Mitchell is pondering as he drags his feet in signing an extension with the Cavs.

I'm on record saying that many teams around the NBA would love to have the Cavaliers' talent, and that's true. Cleveland does have an impressive group of players that has been able to collect 99 regular-season wins over the last two years. But nothing short of a massive breakout year from Mobley will put this team in championship contention in 2025. Not with its current roster.

I at least thought the Cavs would make a move here or there to bolster the roster. They need another wing (preferably a big one who can defend), and they need another big man who can space the floor. They have not filled either of those two holes thus far.

Mitchell may be looking at Tatum and the Celtics and wondering if there is any real chance of the Cavaliers making a finals push in the near future. That may be the reason why he is possibly balking at the idea of signing for the full four years.

If Mitchell ends up signing a two-plus-one deal, it likely won't just be due to the financial ramifications. It may also be a direct result of Boston potentially morphing into the Eastern Conference's version of the Golden State Warriors with the rest of the competition getting stronger and stronger.