Big commitment to Cleveland
Donovan Mitchell made a long term commitment to his future in early July. Before marrying singer Coco Jones in August at a private residence in upstate New York, the guard agreed to stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He signed a four year contract extension worth $273 million, keeping him with the franchise through 2031.
Mitchell chose to sign early despite knowing he could have earned an extra $80 million by waiting until next summer. He did not want contract negotiations to hang over the team during the 2026 to 2027 season. Head coach Kenny Atkinson welcomed the decision, noting that having their leader locked in brings stability to the organization.
Playoff progress followed by disappointment
The extension followed a postseason in 2026 that showed progress but ended in disappointment. Cleveland survived a seven game series against the Toronto Raptors before winning a Game 7 on the road against the top seeded Detroit Pistons. That pushed the Cavaliers to the conference finals, their deepest playoff run without LeBron James in 34 years.
However, the run ended abruptly. The eventual champion New York Knicks swept Cleveland in four games, leaving the team with an 8-10 postseason record. Over Mitchell's four years in Cleveland, the team has produced regular season win totals of 51, 48, 64, and 52 wins, but postseason results have fallen short.
Offseason choices and early struggles
Cleveland opted for continuity during the offseason. Free agent LeBron James selected Philadelphia, while the Cavaliers kept forward Evan Mobley on his max rookie contract. The team re-signed 37 year old James Harden to a new three year contract and brought in wing Peyton Watson to join the starting five.
So far, the new lineup has struggled. Cleveland holds a 6-6 record to start the season, and their starting lineup carries a minus 12.0 net rating. Only the starting groups for Utah and Phoenix have registered worse ratings so far this year.
Dealing with external criticism
The playoff exit also brought public scrutiny. During his summer camp in Connecticut for kids from first through eighth grade, Mitchell heard plenty of jokes about Cleveland's exit against New York. Some comments mocked coach Atkinson's claim that Cleveland was analytically winning the series before Game 4 based on expected shot metrics.
Mitchell acknowledged that criticism comes with heavy losses. He explained that players have to live with the bad moments alongside the good ones, while keeping focus on future growth. Guard Sam Merrill noted that the team simply tries to have fun with outside noise as they aim to prove themselves in the postseason.
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