Donovan Mitchell wants Cavaliers to keep one key player?

Jan 2, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) talks to a television reporter after the game between the Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mitchell set the franchise record for points with 71. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

If Donovan Mitchell runs it back with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he would apparently want one specific teammate to stick around for the ride as well.

Veteran NBA writer Marc Stein reported this weekend to Substack that the Cavs are reluctant to trade center Jarrett Allen, in part because of Mitchell’s fondness for him. Stein notes that Mitchell is often described as a “fan” of Allen and does not want to lose Allen as a teammate.

Mitchell and Allen have been teammates in Cleveland ever since Mitchell arrived in a 2022 trade. While the former All-Star big man Allen is a bit of a clunky fit next to Evan Mobley in the Cavs frontcourt, he has strong pick-and-roll chemistry with Mitchell and fits Mitchell’s style of play as a low-usage lob threat.

While Mitchell himself can become a free agent in summer 2025, the signs are growing that he may end up signing an extension with Cleveland. That gives the Cavs something very interesting to think about with Allen, who is one of their better trade pieces and has recently been drawing interest from a playoff team in the West.