Donovan Mitchell’s new Cavaliers extension has plenty of people looking twice at the price tag, and ESPN’s Ben Golliver was among them.
Mitchell agreed to a four-year, $273 million maximum extension this offseason, a deal Golliver said “ deserves more scrutiny.” The eye-catching part isn’t hard to find. Mitchell will be making more than $60 million in 2027-28, and the contract also includes a $75.5 million player option for 2030-31, when he’ll be 34.
Golliver drew a comparison to Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, who will be at $40.5 million in 2027-28, and questioned whether Mitchell’s defense and playmaking put him in the same financial tier as the NBA’s highest-paid players. His verdict on the extension: “a bit ominous.”
There’s a real argument there. But from Cleveland’s side, the deal makes sense.
Mitchell has grown into a true leader for the Cavs, and he’s been exactly the kind of player teams spend years trying to find. He has embraced Cleveland, answered every question about his future the right way and become a steadying presence on and off the floor.
That matters for a franchise trying to build around him. Cleveland isn’t just paying for points and highlight plays. It’s paying to keep its face of the franchise in place.
And Mitchell has delivered on the court, too. Over four seasons in Cleveland, he has averaged 26.7 points and helped push the Cavs to their first Eastern Conference finals appearance without LeBron James since 1992.
Sure, the back end of the contract could get uncomfortable. That’s the nature of maximum deals.
But the Cavs knew what they were buying: a great player, a respected leader and someone who wants to be there. That’s a bet plenty of teams would happily make.
In Other News...
Cavs Fans Just Got A New Way To Watch Key Matchups
Cavaliers fans will have a new, no-cost way to keep up with a big chunk of the regular season after the team and Gray Media, working with DAZN, announced that 15 games will air over the air for free next season. The broadcasts will be carried on WOIO, WUAB and the Rock Entertainment Sports Network, giving viewers in Cleveland and across the state another option beyond the usual pay-TV setup.
The package comes with full pregame and postgame coverage, and the schedule already includes specific dates and opponents, though it remains subject to change. For a fan base that follows every key matchup closely, the move should make it easier to catch the Cavs without having to hunt down a subscription first. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Fans Now Know What Following This Team Will Cost
Cavaliers fans now have a clearer picture of how theyll be able to follow the team this season, with Cleveland entering an exclusive broadcasting agreement with DAZN for its games. The setup splits the local viewing options, with 15 games set to air for free beginning Oct. 26 on Gray Media stations and Rock Entertainment Sports Network, while the rest of the schedule moves behind a subscription.
For season and half-season ticket holders, there is some relief in the form of a free season pass subscription to access the games. For everyone else, the change means the price of keeping up with the Cavs will no longer just be measured in wins and losses, but in another monthly bill for fans who want to watch nearly every night. [Read more 🡒]
Delonte West Just Gave Cavaliers Fans A Reason To Smile
Delonte Wests name has been in the news again for reasons Cavaliers fans can feel good about. The former Cleveland guard has completed 100 days in a wellness and recovery program in Florida and is reportedly sober, a meaningful update for a player whose post-NBA life has often drawn concern far more than celebration. West last played professionally in 2015, but he has recently shown he can still handle a basketball, including in a one-on-one game against a YouTuber.
There is also a familiar basketball twist ahead for him. The NBA plans to include West as a playable character in NBA 2K27, with royalty payments set to begin in March 2027, giving him a new kind of presence in the game years after his playing career ended. For a fan base that remembers both the talent and the struggles, it is a small but welcome reminder that Wests story is still moving forward. [Read more 🡒]