It’s been a hectic 24 hours for the Cleveland Cavaliers. A swap featuring Darius Garland for James Harden is potentially on the way—and Cavs fans are scrambling to figure out how we got here.
According to multiple NBA insiders, it’s because the front office is concerned that this might be the last chance to convince Donovan Mitchell to sign a contract extension in the summer.
“The key here is that the Cavs are moving away from believing in the Core 4,” Brian Windhorst told [ESPN Cleveland](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOFRYz4QKiA). “And I think the genesis of this is because they’re worried that Donovan is not going to re-sign this summer.”
Mitchell is in the middle of a stellar season. He’s averaging a career-high 28.8 points and has consistently translated his scoring to the playoffs. The argument here is that Mitchell is growing frustrated with Cleveland’s shortcomings in the postseason and could decline to sign an extension with the franchise.
[ESPN’s Tim Bontemps](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGWV-2RJ9sI) shared the same sentiment, saying he believes an extension is unlikely if the Cavs fall short again in the playoffs this season.
Now let’s get some context out of the way.
Speculation is fair. Especially when that’s part of your job. But, with all due respect, Bontemps also said that the Cavs had ZERO chance of extending Mitchell two summers ago. In fact, numerous NBA media members were adamant about Mitchell refusing to stay in Cleveland.
And, well, we all know how that ended.
Does that mean that everyone is wrong this time? Of course not. It would make sense if Mitchell felt frustrated and looked for a change of scenery if the Cavs collapsed in the playoffs again. That’s only natural. I’m just trying to provide context and temper the flames before they get out of hand on Twitter.
Things change fast in the NBA. Mitchell signed an extension in 2024 before he believed in the future of the franchise. Two disappointing seasons are more than enough to shift that perspective. Regardless of whether or not the Cavs make any blockbuster trades before the deadline, they certainly have pressure on them to compete in the playoffs and convince Mitchell that this ship isn’t sinking.