By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Cleveland Cavaliers made it known that they wanted to build around Donovan Mitchell after locking him up to a three-year $150 million extension deal confirmed on July 2, 2024.
After leading the banged-up Cleveland squad to the Eastern Conference semifinals before falling to the eventual champion Boston Celtics, Mitchell proved he is the team’s go-to guy since arriving with the franchise two years ago.
Already reaching superstar level during his final two years with the Utah Jazz, the Cavaliers traded for Mitchell in hopes of halting their NBA post-season drought.
That move then paid off dividends as the athletic shooting guard led the Cavaliers to back-to-back NBA playoff appearances but is yet to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
Mitchell had a consistent regular season at Cleveland and propelled the squad to a fourth-place finish in the Eastern Conference with an impressive 48-34 win-loss record.
During the first round of the playoffs, Mitchell and the Cavaliers faced a young and tough Orlando Magic squad which they disposed in seven grueling games.
Despite trailing by double digits in the do-or-die Game 7, Mitchell didn’t back down and showed his will after exploding for 39 points to steer Cleveland to a series-clinching 106-94 victory.
Although Cleveland lost against the Celtics in the next round, Mitchell still embraced the bright lights and top-scored his team in the semifinal round.
Mitchell became one of the best post-season performers in the league during the recently concluded season and averaged 29.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game in the playoffs.
His stat line in the regular season was almost the same, tallying 26.6 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game in 55 games.
According to ESPN’s veteran NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Mitchell’s three-year extension deal includes a player option for the 2027-2028 season.
