“Spida” will keep hanging around Cleveland.
Five-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell has agreed to a contract extension with the Cavaliers , an NBA source told the Beacon Journal on Tuesday morning, confirming an ESPN report . The deal is for three years and worth $150.3 million, and it includes a player option for the 2027-28 season. Mitchell cannot officially sign the extension until July 6.
Securing Mitchell long term was the No. 1 priority of the Cavs coming off a season in which they went 48-34, defeated the Orlando Magic 4-3 in the first round of the playoffs and then fell 4-1 to the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals .
In Mitchell's two seasons with the Cavs since they acquired him a September 2022 trade with the Utah Jazz, he has been Cleveland's best player and undisputed top leader.
As a youngster playing AAU basketball in New York, Mitchell earned his “Spida” nickname because of his ability to steal and deflect passes with his long arms. After years of speculation about Mitchell, 27, hoping to find a way to his hometown Knicks, he has committed to the Cavs.
In an Instagram story Mitchell posted Tuesday, he said he thought it was "hilarious" when people claimed he would leave the Cavs despite his insistence he likes Cleveland.
"I'm glad I got this [extension] done, Cleveland," Mitchell said.
The outcome should give Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman a sense of relief. If Mitchell had decided to leave Cleveland, the Cavs would have essentially gotten only a short-term rental out of Mitchell after acquiring him from the Jazz for Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton, three unprotected first-round draft choices (2025, 2027 and 2029) and two pick swaps (2026 and 2028).
Before Mitchell struck an agreement on his new deal, he had been under contract with the Cavs for next season and possessed a $37 million player option for 2025-26. However, if Mitchell had declined to sign an extension this offseason, the Cavs likely would have traded him to avoid losing the star shooting guard after the 2024-25 season without compensation.
Altman avoided the dilemma, yet questions remain about the rest of the franchise's “core four” and whether it should stay intact.
Will Cleveland Cavs retain Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen to go along with Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley?
The Cavs still must decide whether it would be wise to proceed with Mitchell and point guard Darius Garland as a backcourt tandem. They also must determine whether keeping center Jarrett Allen and forward Evan Mobley together makes sense.
During a season wrap-up news conference on May 24, Altman said he didn't see a need to break up the “core four,” indicating he's determined to learn how the group would fare under new coach Kenny Atkinson . The Cavs fired coach J.B. Bickerstaff on May 23, eight days after they were knocked out of the playoffs. They hired Atkinson on June 24, and the Detroit Pistons hired Bickerstaff on June 30.
During Atkinson's introductory news conference Monday, Atkinson and Altman spoke as if they fully intend to move forward with the "core four." The sense is only a dynamic trade offer for Garland or Allen would change the plan.
What's certain now, though, is the Cavs have resolution with the biggest piece of their roster puzzle: Mitchell. Altman doubled down Monday on expressing optimism an extension would materialize. He and Atkinson attended the “Spida Elite Camp” Mitchell held for some of the best young guards in the country in Los Angeles this past weekend and left encouraged about Mitchell's attitude toward the Cavs.
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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell had an outstanding 2023-24 season, but injuries interfered
Like several Cavs players, Mitchell was slowed by injuries last season. He missed 27 regular-season games and underwent medical procedures in March on a left knee bone bruise and a nasal fracture.
Yet, Mitchell finished the regular season averaging 26.6 points on 46.2% shooting from the field and career highs in assists (6.1), rebounds (5.1) and steals (1.8).
In the playoffs, Mitchell averaged 29.6 points on 47.6% shooting from the floor, 5.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.3 steals. Mitchell appeared in 10 of the Cavs' 12 postseason games, missing the final two with a strained left calf .
Mitchell has been to the playoffs in all seven of his NBA seasons, five with the Jazz and the past two with the Cavs. He has not advanced beyond the second round and has openly discussed his desire to win a championship.
Although Mitchell has said he considers the Cavs a legitimate contender, actions speak louder than words, and his decision to sign an extension supports the votes of confidence he has publicly given the team.
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Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star Donovan Mitchell agrees to contract extension
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