Is Donovan Mitchell pursuit a mirage?
Photo by Evan Yu/NBAE via Getty Images
Shams Charania says Thursday that Donovan Mitchell is likely to sign a big $208 million contract this July ... with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cleveland Cavaliers fired J.B. Bickerstaff Thursday morning, further complicating Donovan Mitchell’s future ... or did it?
Within minutes after the story broke, Shams Charania was on FanDuel’s Run It Back implying that Bickerstaff’s removal is yet another indicator that Mitchell will be staying in Cleveland, on a four-year million extension...
"J. B. Bickerstaff is out as head coach in Cleveland, sources tell me that Kenny Atkinson and James Borrego are among the leading candidates to replace Bickerstaff...There is a lot of optimism around the Cavs that they're going to get a commitment from Donovan Mitchell on a… pic.twitter.com/9NkzsXTIkm— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) May 23, 2024
“J.B. Bickerstaff is out as head coach in Cleveland,” Shams told Michelle Beadle. “And whoever takes over as coach, this is a Cavs team that is hopeful to resign Donovan Mitchell to a long term extension. There is a lot of optimism around the Cavs that they are going to get commitment from Donovan Mitchell on a four-year, $208 million extension this off-season.”
Indeed, it was second time in 10 days that Shams has dismissed the conventional wisdom on Mitchell — that he is unhappy in Northeast Ohio and wants to be traded. Writing for The Athletic in mid-May, Shams reported there’s “growing sentiment around the league that Donovan Mitchell will sign a lucrative extension with the Cavs” this summer.”
He was not alone, Adrian Wojnarowski, after speaking directly with Mitchell, quoted the 28-year-old as saying he was not unhappy in Cleveland, but in fact happy...
“I am happy in Cleveland. I’ve been happy since I’ve arrived in Cleveland,” Donovan Mitchell to Woj. pic.twitter.com/UqnASZoblY— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) May 17, 2024
The next day, Mitchell offered his own confirmation of things and frustration...
Yeah aight I’m sick of yall sometimes! https://t.co/B7zdP8APDk— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) May 16, 2024
All this would seemingly eliminate the possibility and silence the speculation that the Westchester native will be returning to his home state and to the Brooklyn Nets specifically. Indeed, Brian Windhorst reported on ESPN’s Get Up the day before the initial comments from Woj and Shams that the Nets were among “a number of teams [that] have their offers ready”
.@WindhorstESPN says "a number of teams have their offers ready" for Donovan Mitchell Could you see him leaving the Cavs? pic.twitter.com/ZvPsTNOgwT— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 15, 2024
Still, despite all the news to the contrary, pundits and capologists alike kept grinding out trade possibilities ... and as Nets fans know better than anyone, contracts are made to be broken. If Mitchell goes from being happy to being unhappy, he can always ask for a trade. Or, as Bobby Marks wrote Thursday after the Bickerstaff firing, if Mitchell doesn’t like Bickerstaff’s replacement, he can decide not agree to sign the $208 million extension on June 30... and rev up the speculation all over again.
Bottom line for Bobby Marks, though, is that the situation favors Cleveland, writing the Cavs have “the upper hand.” Still, he did propose a number of trades if a reported meeting between Mitchell and owner Dan Gilbert doesn’t work out.
A trade centered around Ben Simmons’ expiring contract and first-round picks makes the most sense for Brooklyn, but how does that improve Cleveland on the court now?
One trade package that works and is more appealing to the Cavaliers is Cam Thomas, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dennis Schroder and three unprotected first-round picks from Phoenix.
The Nets, as Brian Lewis wrote earlier in the week, have more than picks and personnel to offer.
The five-time All-Star is close with Mikal Bridges, having attended Liberty games with the Brooklyn wing, a runner-up in the NBA Teammate of the Year voting. (Nets owner Joe Tsai also owns the Liberty).
Mitchell’s father — Donovan Mitchell Sr. — has been the Mets director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for years. The first poster he ever hung on his wall was even Amazin’s star David Wright. As he got older, he played AAU for both The City and the Riverside Hawks, and spent summers at Rucker Park.
However, at this point at least, everything seems to going Cleveland’s way in the SpidaSaga.
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