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[Saba Sports News] Lately, there’s been much talk about Donovan Mitchell’s future with the Cleveland Cavaliers. As the team’s leading scorer and standout player for the past two seasons, Mitchell has been notably reticent about discussing a potential extension with the Cavs.
Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus recently suggested that there might be a reason for Mitchell’s silence on contract discussions. According to Pincus, the buzz among NBA insiders is that Mitchell plans to decline an extension and seek opportunities elsewhere once his current contract expires.
Furthermore, the Cavaliers are reportedly leaning towards trading Mitchell sooner rather than later to avoid losing him in free agency without any compensation.
Mitchell, who is in the third year of a 5-year, $163 million deal initially signed with the Utah Jazz in 2020, has the option to opt out after the next season. However, a deep playoff run, possibly to the NBA Finals, might sway Mitchell to reconsider his stance.
Currently, the Cavaliers are third in the Eastern Conference and are vying for home-court advantage as the regular season nears its end, still with a chance to surpass the Milwaukee Bucks for the second seed. Despite missing 25 games due to injuries, Mitchell has put up impressive numbers this season, averaging 26.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game, though his absences have ruled him out of postseason awards contention.