The Cavaliers’ sense of urgency went from 0 to 60 faster than that of one of the Donovan Mitchell Lamborghini. And the driver of this vehicle is at the center of it all.
The Cavs have carefully assembled a young, talented roster built on the progression of a few youth pieces and the addition of their star guard in a blockbuster trade with the Utah Jazz before last season.
It was said that the front office wanted to give this group a “runway” for success and a chance to grow together. But the Cavs are also squarely at a crossroads between waiting for that youth to develop and needing to see those dividends pay off now.
At least as currently built, they lack runway. Patience will soon be tested.
The Cavs, on paper, are built to last. But it’s not that simple.
As they embark on a new season Wednesday night in Brooklyn, hoping to exercise the demons of their playoff test at a glance against the Knicks last season, a crossroads of sorts are quickly approaching.
Donovan Mitchell leads Cavs core to another possible playoff run in 2023-24
Mitchell is the heart of the Cavs core, joining Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and now Max Strus, the team’s key offseason addition from the Miami Heat.
Garland is under contract for the next five seasons (through 2027-28). Mobley has two years left on his contract after the Cavs recently picked up his fourth-year option, but he will then be a restricted free agent, giving the team plenty of flexibility to keep him long-term beyond that. Allen Allen has three years left on his contract. Strus signed a four-year contract this offseason via sign-and-trade.
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And then there’s Mitchell, who, on paper, has three years left on his contract. He is under contract for the next two seasons and then has a player option for 2025-26.
But as far as the Cavs are concerned, that means they have about eight or nine months before they have to determine Mitchell’s intentions regarding his future and whether they can afford to just hope that he chooses to stay in Cleveland for 2025. 26-player option instead of entering free agency.
Next summer, the Cavs almost have to treat Mitchell like an impending free agent — which he effectively is, as he controls his own destiny heading into the summer of 2025. That could either mean they are locked in a long-term agreement, guaranteeing the common future of this core group, or this could require a swap modifying the list.
“He wants to win here, he wants to win big here,” Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman said earlier this month. “And all we can take inspiration from is the intentions he gives us, the real feedback and how we can get to a place where we all want to be.
“We want to win big with Donovan. I can’t speak to other organizations and what they’re going through. All I can tell you is we have a group of high character guys who really love being here and believe they can “Win big here. And that’s all I can tell you from the Cleveland Cavaliers’ perspective. We believe we are in a very good position for a long period of success. “
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Mitchell knows he will be asked questions all season about his contract situation. This is not a subject that can be put aside. No, the idea of an extension for Mitchell versus a potential roster-shaking trade is that the student uses 5-hour energies to pull another all-nighter cramming during finals week. This will leave the Cavs wide-eyed and exhausted at the end, and probably a little disheveled.
Their consideration: Show Mitchell enough to make staying in Cleveland a more attractive path than going through free agency and, most likely, leaving for New York (or another destination).
“I want it to be known that I still have the possibility of signing an extension next summer,” Mitchell insisted during the Cavs media day. “I think I’m really excited about what we have here. … It’s like, look, we could do something special. That’s what I conveyed to Georges (Niang) and Max when I I talked to them about coming here. And finally, ‘When the season is over, we’ll come back. I talked about it with the front office and so on. “
Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks are the two favorites in the East in 2023-24
For now, Mitchell is the No. 1 scoring option leading a now more experienced Cavs lineup. They are undoubtedly a serious playoff contender in the East. But they will have to slay two dragons in Milwaukee and Boston.
The Bucks, one year removed from their NBA title, added star guard Damian Lillard in a deal with the Portland Trailblazers. They also just signed MVP candidate (favorite?) Giannis Antetokounmpo for an extension.
The Celtics acquired forward Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards and former Bucks guard Jrue Holiday from the Trail Blazers, pairing them with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who signed extensions.
The Cavs checked off every box on their checklist this season, adding some shooting potential with Strus and others. On paper, they have improved both from an internal (experience) and external point of view. It’s also impossible not to think of Boston and Milwaukee as the two-headed Goliaths of the East.
“Yes, the East is a monster,” Altman said. “There are no easy matches, there are no easy confrontations.”
The Cavs still have tests to pass against the Knicks and the defending East champion, Miami. But the Celtics and Bucks seem inevitable.
The Cavs have as much to prove this season as any team in the NBA. They eliminated a lot of “firsts” last season. Now they have to fight with the training wheels long gone. And all of this could determine the direction the franchise takes with Mitchell and others.
“I feel like we’re there,” Mitchell said of the additions made by Boston and Milwaukee. “At the end of the day, we have high hopes. We have high goals and a high ceiling for us. It starts now, it starts tomorrow, and we can’t really focus on what’s going on around us.”
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The 2023-24 season is pivotal for the Cavs. They’re hoping to win their first playoff series without LeBron James since 1993. But, as Mitchell noted, the conversation about his contract and the team’s future closely tied to it won’t stop.
In no time, the Cavs have gone from the East’s group of plucky youngsters to a team that could face some tough decisions next summer. They will return the core group, but this could be their last meeting together depending on what happens in 8-9 months.
The Cavs have no choice but to hit the snooze button on any extension until next summer. And depending on which direction Mitchell takes (or if the Cavs can do enough to force his hand), they could be in for a rude awakening.
Ryan Lewis can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @ByRyanLewis.
