The Cavaliers ended their playoff run with an embarrassing sweep in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Knicks. They have now entered their offseason with a unique set of problems to solve going into the summer.
From James Harden’s future to deciding whether or not they want to continue building around Donovan Mitchell, the Cavaliers have some major decisions to make regarding their backcourt.
While Harden is reportedly going to opt out of his player option to accept a team-friendly deal, potentially for lesser money, Donovan Mitchell’s future remains uncertain as he enters the final guaranteed season of his contract and is expecting a potential extension.
It is now on the Cavaliers’ front office to decide what offer they make to Mitchell’s representation and whether they plan to continue building around the 29-year-old guard. If they decide to move on and put Mitchell on the trade block, Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report anticipates that several suitors will be in the race to potentially land him.
According to the NBA writer’s latest report, the Spurs and the Thunder are expected to be the frontrunners alongside the Rockets, the 76ers, and the Pelicans in the race if the Cavaliers decide to listen to offers.
Mitchell, who has never missed the playoffs in his career, led a team to the conference finals for the first time after four second-round exits over the last eight seasons. Over the 18 games he played in this season’s playoffs, he averaged 26.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists while shooting 45.1% from the field and 32.7% from beyond the arc.
This shows that Mitchell can still contribute to a championship-contending team. The main question that now arises for the Cavaliers’ front office is whether he still has what it takes to be the central piece around whom the team is built.
In his nine appearances in the playoffs, he has never gone to the Finals even once. Maybe it’s time for him to also consider being a second option somewhere else so that he has a better chance at competing for a championship.
Donovan Mitchell still commands significant value in the market to potentially land significant pieces to build around a young player like Mobley. But he still earns nearly $104 million over the next two seasons ($50.1 million guaranteed for 2026-27 and a $53.8 million player option for 2027-28).
Which means that he still has significant leverage in terms of deciding where he wants to go. So if the Cavaliers do decide to move on from Mitchell this summer, he could be a valuable addition to either of the aforementioned teams.
The prospect of Mitchell potentially playing alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, or Kevin Durant should be a scary sight for the rest of the league. It will certainly be interesting to see what the Cavaliers’ front office decides to do here.
