Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers reportedly agree to 3-year, $150.3M max extension

Donovan Mitchell celebrates during Game 7 of Cleveland’s first-round series against the Magic. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

After taking care of their first order of business by hiring Kenny Atkinson to be their new head coach, the Cavaliers have now checked the most important item off their summer to-do list, agreeing to terms with Donovan Mitchell on a new three year, $150.5 million maximum contract extension, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

So why not a four-year extension worth over $200 million? It appears that this deal is structured to give all parties what they really want. According to Wojnarowski, this deal gives the Cavs “the stability of their franchise player under contract beyond next season.” For Mitchell, he is now on the “fast-path to the 10-year service criteria allowing him to pursue a 5-year, $380M-plus extension in 2027.”

Since landing in Northeast Ohio in September 2022, Mitchell has played the best basketball of his seven-year career, averaging 27.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game across two seasons in Cleveland. He led the Cavs to consecutive postseason appearances, including the franchise’s first playoff series win since LeBron James left for Los Angeles — and its first series win without James since 1993 — with a first-round victory over the Orlando Magic back in April.

The Cavs needed the full seven games to take down the physical, young Magic, and needed Mitchell — still not fully himself after missing 18 games post-All-Star break with left knee issues that wound up requiring platelet-rich plasma injections — to lead the way. He scored 14 points in the fourth quarter of Cleveland’s win in Game 5; hung 50, including all 18 points the Cavs scored in the fourth, to give them a chance in a close Game 6 loss; and bounced back with 39 to go with nine rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block in 45 minutes in the Game 7 clincher.

That victory earned Cleveland a date with the top-seeded Celtics in Round 2. The Cavs wouldn’t linger long in the series, bowing out in five games, with Mitchell missing the final two contests with a left calf…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-07-02 12:58:42

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