Glenn Kaplan
There are going to be many questions about Donovan Mitchell’s future with the Cleveland Cavaliers this offseason. Mitchell will be under contract for the 2026-2027 NBA season. After next season ends, he will have a player-option for the 2027-2028 season. If Mitchell were to decline that player-option, he would become a free agent next summer. There will be questions about whether or not Mitchell will sign a contract extension this offseason. If he doesn’t sign an extension this offseason, there could be a chance that Mitchell gets traded.
However, he has expressed his desire not to be traded away from the Cavaliers. There is a good chance that this team will most likely run it back with the same core next season. There are many Cleveland fans who want to see changes to the core. Cleveland made one change last season and traded away Darius Garland for James Harden. Could Mitchell be one of the next core guys on the move or no?
CBS Sports NBA Analyst Sam Quinn puts Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell on the trade block
Sam Quinn of CBS Sports wrote a story about which 50 NBA players could potentially be traded this offseason. He thinks that Mitchell could be traded this offseason. Mitchell will be one of the superstars to keep an eye on. Quinn said, “Mitchell just made the first conference finals of his career. If the goal is a championship, well, his noncompetitive loss to the Knicks suggests Cleveland still isn’t close. Mitchell can become a free agent in 2027 and, like Antetokounmpo, is entering an “extend or trade” offseason. Cleveland traded Darius Garland for James Harden in part to appease Mitchell, so the Cavaliers will probably do whatever it takes to convince Mitchell to stay. He has similarly expressed a desire to remain in Cleveland.
Until that extension is actually signed, though, we can’t rule anything out. What is said publicly and what is intended privately don’t always align. If Cleveland is less certain about its ability to contend with Mitchell, or if Mitchell sees a more desirable situation elsewhere, anything should be treated as possible. That’s what happens when an all-in team gets embarrassed as thoroughly as the Cavaliers were against the Knicks.”
Other stars who could be traded
Mitchell has spent the last four seasons with Cleveland. He was acquired in a trade from the Utah Jazz before the 2022-2023 NBA season began. Assuming Mitchell does not get traded, the 2026-2027 NBA season will be his fifth season with the Cavaliers. There are some fans who think that Cleveland will never win a championship with him as the number one option on the team. If he does not get traded, there is a good chance that he either signs the contract extension or waits a year and see if they can win it all next season. Mitchell is 29 years old.
There are some other players who will could be traded other than Mitchell. Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics, and Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers are also on the trade block. There is a chance that Mitchell winds up staying in Cleveland. The Cavaliers could be in the market for either Giannis or Brown. There is a chance that they would have to trade Evan Mobley to get either of those players.
