CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell made one thing clear at media day: he believes wholeheartedly in this group. That was also made clear when he signed a four-year, $273 contract extension that will keep him in Cleveland through the start of the next decade.
For Mitchell, there wasn’t much of a discussion about whether he wanted to lock up his foreseeable future with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“I told Koby [Altman, Cavs president of basketball operations], ‘Listen, you ain’t really gotta ask,’” Mitchell said
when asked about the extension during media day on Monday. “The first day it’s allowed [I’m signing]. It wasn’t really much of a talk.”
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The main concern about Mitchell when the Cavs first traded for him in 2022 was that he would leave in free agency for a bigger market — such as his hometown New York Knicks — when his contract expired. Fast forward four years, and the idea of Mitchell turning down a contract offer from Cleveland seems almost unfathomable.
Mitchell hasn’t just embraced the basketball team, he’s also embraced the community. That was seen once again this past weekend as he made it a point to go to the Walsh Jesuit and Arch Bishop Hoban high school football game with some of his teammates.
“Everybody comes to see us; why not flip the script and go see them?” Mitchell said. “You never know what that one moment on that particular Friday could do for that one child.”
Mitchell went on to tell a story about parents who reached out to him through Instagram to tell them about their son who was going through a difficult time and was on the football team. The son wasn’t able to play in the game, but he was able to see the stars of his local NBA team.
“[We’re] just trying to give kids that little bit of life,” Mitchell said. “Just saying, ‘Hey, we’re humans too. We’re here to see y’all.’ I know you put us on this pedestal, but at the end of the day, we appreciate the fans as much as they appreciate us.”
Mitchell is already one of the most accomplished players in franchise history as he’s set to enter his fifth season in Cleveland. That individual success has carried over to team accomplishments as well, even though they still haven’t reached their ultimate goal in the playoffs. That’s something Mitchell and his teammates hope to change this upcoming season.
“I’ve said I want to be here,” Mitchell said. “ I’ve said that publicly. I love being here. And now it’s about delivering everything else that comes with it.”
