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Donovan Mitchell received a full salary from the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday when he agreed to a four-year, $273 million maximum extension that includes a full trade kicker and player option for the 2030-31 season.
While Mitchell could have waited one more year to get a potential five-year, $353 million deal, the 29-year-old wasted no time signing an extension on the first day he was eligible to do so this summer.
It’s hard for Cleveland not to want to build their team around Mitchell now and for the foreseeable future. He has been an All-Star seven straight seasons, including three with the Utah Jazz prior to his trade to Cleveland in the 2022 offseason.
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Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks to pass the ball during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on February 2, 2023 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. (David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
He has averaged 26.7 points across four seasons with the Cavaliers, including 27.9 this past season, and has made an All-NBA team in three of his four years.
Mitchell also noted having “unfinished business” after the team was swept by the future NBA champion New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Mitchell was heading into the 2026-27 season on the final guaranteed season of his previous contract before a 2027 player option kicked in.
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Now the bigger question for the Cavaliers: Does Mitchell’s contract extension hurt or help their chances of another reunion with LeBron James?
The 41-year-old has made it clear he wants to play elsewhere in the 2026-27 NBA season, marking the end of his eight-year stint with the Los Angeles Lakers.
James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, has not indicated where he might be headed, but reports have indicated that his agent, Rich Paul, is actively looking at specific teams.
LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to a bad call during the second half of the game against the Dallas Mavericks at Crypto.com Arena on January 12, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Among them are the Cavaliers, with whom the man from Akron, Ohio has played a significant role in the franchise’s history, including an NBA title in 2016. If this is James’ final NBA run, why not make it where it all began, where he returned from his successful stint with the Miami Heat and where he can close the book on an outstanding career?
But other teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors, have been rumored and discussed.
But of course salary cap is a big thing for NBA teams and staying within the parameters. While a Cavaliers fan could see Mitchell’s max extension as a bad thing for James to land back in Cleveland, it is not believed to affect their chances of signing him.
And for James’ NBA title chances, the Cavaliers reached the Eastern Conference Finals and the 41-year-old didn’t have to be the center of attention in terms of offensive play. Mitchell and Evan Mobley can lead the way there, while Jarrett Allen protects the rim down low.
The Cavaliers and James Harden, who they acquired before the trade deadline last season, are also reportedly negotiating a team-friendly deal to keep their salary cap in check.
Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons in game seven of the second round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 17, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
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Whether the big fish will be landed, bringing “The Chosen One” back to his roots one last time, remains to be seen.
However, Mitchell has left no doubt about where his future lies in the NBA as he will look to settle the unfinished business in Cleveland.
