Donovan Mitchell may be parachuting onto the trade block once again.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will discuss the possibility of trading their star shooting guard Mitchell this summer if they cannot agree to an extension with him, Fred Katz of The Athletic reported on Friday. Katz notes that Mitchell can hit free agency in 2027 but will become eligible for an extension from the Cavaliers this offseason.
Mitchell, 29, is in his fourth season as a member of Cleveland. It has been a fruitful partnership thus far as Mitchell has made four All-Star teams, earned two All-NBA nods, and helped lead the Cavaliers to a 64-win season plus a division title in 2024-25.
As for this season, Mitchell continues to show out. He is averaging some of his best numbers yet as a Cleveland player, posting 27.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game on 48/36/87 shooting splits over 70 total appearances for the 52-30 Cavaliers.
But the Mitchell era in Cleveland has also been defined by a lack of playoff success. The Cavaliers only have two total playoff series wins since he arrived (both in the first round) and may have to take a long look in the mirror if they suffer another early postseason exit this year.
With Cleveland trading for James Harden a couple of months ago, their urgency to win is immediate. Though it is customary for teams to entertain trading away star players with just one year left on their contracts (instead of risking a potential departure for nothing in free agency), Mitchell’s status as an in-his-prime stud makes him a particularly interesting case. With Harden also facing questions as to what exactly he will do this summer, the Cavaliers may have a lot of moving parts in the near future if they cannot find a way to win this postseason.
