Donovan Mitchell kept the Cleveland Cavaliers afloat when injuries decimated the team’s roster last season. The team rewarded his efforts Tuesday, reportedly signing Mitchell to a four-year, $273 million maximum contract extension, per ESPN.
Mitchell, 29, averaged 27.9 points with the team last season, earning down-ballot MVP votes.
Mitchell’s new deal contains a player option for the 2030-31 NBA season, per Charania.
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Mitchell wasn’t just rewarded for his performance last season. Since being traded to the Cavaliers, he’s been a standout player over multiple seasons. In his four years with the team, Mitchell averaged 26.7 points, 5.3 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game. He’s made the All-Star team each of those seasons and has three top-7 finishes in the MVP voting over that period.
While the Cavaliers have made the playoffs in all four seasons with Mitchell, the team has yet to win a championship. After early playoff exits in his first three seasons with the team, Mitchell helped lead the Cavaliers on a run to the Eastern Conference finals last season. They were swept by the New York Knicks in the series, however.
With Mitchell now under contract, the Cavaliers will look to add additional parts to push the team to the next level. The team is reportedly still working through a new deal with veteran James Harden and could be a candidate to add LeBron James as a free agent.
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Mitchell has been a fantastic player since he was selected by the Utah Jazz with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. After finishing as the runner-up for the Rookie of the Year award, Mitchell went on to make the All-Star team in three of his next four seasons with the Jazz before being traded to Cleveland. In addition to seven career All-Star appearances, Mitchell is also a three-time All-NBA selection.
The only thing missing from his resume is a championship. With the new deal, Mitchell and the Cavaliers seem confident they can deliver on the front in the next few seasons.
