The Cleveland Cavaliers got back to winning ways on Monday’s with a 115-92 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. This was the sixth game the Cavs have played since Donovan Mitchell went down with a facial injury, and Monday’s win now has Cleveland sitting at 3-3 sans their superstar guard.
The Cavs have learned to cope without their best player available this season amid Mitchell’s injury-plagued campaign. The 27-year-old has now missed 23 games in 2023-24, and counting. At this point, Cleveland should probably get used to life without Mitchell amid speculation regarding his future.
Will Donovan Mitchell Leave Cleveland Cavaliers This Summer?
Mitchell is currently under contract with the Cavs through 2026. However, he has a player option for the final year of his deal, which means that he could opt to leave Cleveland as an unrestricted free agent next summer. That is unless the Cavs are able to convince him to sign an extension in the offseason.
The good news for Cleveland supporters is that Mitchell appears to be inclined to remain in The Land. According to Grant Afseth of the NBA Analysis Network, the five-time All-Star is fully expected to stay with the Cavs for the long haul:
“According to multiple league sources who have told NBA Analysis Network, the growing sentiment around the NBA is that Donovan Mitchell plans to remain with the Cleveland Cavaliers after his current contract expires,” Afseth wrote.
This likely means that Mitchell will put pen to paper on a new deal this summer, which will dig a deep hole into the Cavs’ salary cap. He is set to earn $72.5 million over the next two seasons on his current deal, and it doesn’t seem like Mitchell would be willing to give the team a discount at this point in his career.
At the end of the day, however, money is just money. The Cavs must be willing to do whatever it takes to keep their superstar in Cleveland beyond 2026. Failing to do so could lead to catastrophic results.
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