Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers could reportedly look into moving center Jarrett Allen this offseason amid rumors and speculation regarding Donovan Mitchell's future with the franchise.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported the following on Friday's episode of The Hoop Collective:

"I would just say that while there's an extreme interest and excitement probably from certain fanbases to go to the trade machine and work out Donovan Mitchell trades—and maybe those will be needed in a month, we'll see—I would think the Cavs are going to be spending more time in this next month looking at possible Jarrett Allen trades and what that can bring."

The 26-year-old Allen averaged 16.5 points on 63.4 percent shooting, 10.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 77 starts for the Cavs this season. He's fared quite well in Cleveland since landing in town in January 2021, even earning an All-Star appearance in 2022.

With Allen in the post, Cleveland earned the Eastern Conference's No. 4 seed.

The Cavs defeated the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs, but the Boston Celtics then beat Cleveland in five games in the second round. Allen, however, missed the final eight games of the playoffs due to bruised ribs.

As for Mitchell, the five-time NBA All-Star realistically has one year left on his contract. He can elect to become a free agent by declining his 2025-26 player option.

That puts Cleveland in a bind. If the Cavs can't come to terms on an agreement with Mitchell, then they are best served trading the 27-year-old to avoid losing him for nothing.

There isn't a shortage of rumors and speculation on Mitchell's future, but for now, Windhorst has made it clear that the Cavs are looking to shop Allen, who has two years and $40 million remaining on his contract.

The Cavs' core of Mitchell, Allen and Darius Garland could be breaking up. Evan Mobley, who is part of that core, shouldn't be going anywhere.

Although the Cavs had a good season with their first conference semifinals appearance without LeBron James since 1993, it appears that changes could very well be on the horizon.

Looking ahead to the offseason, a lot of issues remain unresolved for the Cleveland Cavaliers. When it comes to Evan Mobley, the situation might be pretty straightforward.

At the 43:41 mark in the newest episode of his Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN's Brian Windhorst speculated the Cavs are "gonna extend Mobley probably at the max, probably in very, very early July."

Mobley is eligible to sign an extension this summer, a year out from his restricted free agency in 2025.

The 22-year-old doesn't profile as an immediate flight risk because he's under contract for 2024-25 and the Cavs will have matching rights if he becomes a restricted free agent.

But a report from The Athletic's Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd in the aftermath of Cleveland's playoff exit pointed to some matters specific to Mobley. The most notable revelation was that his representatives "cautioned" the Cavs not to pick the 6'11" forward. With Jarrett Allen already on the roster, it was unclear how he'd fit into the frontcourt.

Now three years into Mobley's career, that question continues to linger.

It increasingly looks like Cleveland will have to have to choose between Donovan Mitchell or Darius Garland in the backcourt. The Athletic reported Garland's reps may request a trade if Mitchell, who's also extension-eligible, pledges his long-term future to the Cavaliers.

The front office may face a similar situation with Allen, who's under contract for two more years.

Windhorst reported on his podcast that the team could begin to explore the 2021-22 All-Star's trade market this summer. If the Cavs wind up re-signing Mobley at or near the max salary, then it would arguably be a pretty firm sign as to which of the two big men they value the most moving forward.

Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell has just one year remaining on his contract before he is faced with a player option for the 2025-26 season, but the Cavs organization reportedly feels good about its chances of signing him to an extension.

Speaking on the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast (beginning at the 52:10 mark), ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst said the Cavaliers are "very optimistic" they will be able to get a deal done with their star player.

Cleveland acquired Mitchell from the Utah Jazz in a blockbuster trade in 2022, and since his arrival he has been named an All-Star twice and has led the Cavs to two playoff appearances.

Mitchell went to the playoffs in each of his five seasons with the Jazz, but he won only two playoff series during that time, and Utah never advanced past the second round.

With the team unable to get over the hump, it traded Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Mitchell to he Cavs for a bevy of players and draft picks.

Cleveland sent Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, Ochai Agbaji, three first-round picks and two picks swaps for Mitchell, who was a three-time All-Star at the time.

Mitchell has been every bit as good as advertised since then, as he finished sixth in the NBA MVP voting last season and was a second-team All-NBA selection by virtue of his averages of 28.3 points, 4.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 3.6 three-pointers made and 1.5 steals per game.

Injuries limited Mitchell to just 55 games during the 2023-24 regular season, but he remained highly productive when healthy, averaging 26.6 points, 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 3.3 three-pointers made and 1.8 steals per contest.

The 27-year-old Mitchell helped the Cavs beat the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs, marking their first playoff series win since 2018, which was LeBron James' final year with the team.

It was also the first time the Cavaliers won a playoff series without James on the roster since 1993.

Mitchell and the Cavs lost to the top-seeded Boston Celtics in five games in the second round, immediately drumming up rumors and speculation regarding Mitchell's future with the team.

On Thursday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t RealGM) said on NBA Countdown that Mitchell suggested to him that he is happy in Cleveland, although he didn't make a long-term commitment:

"I reached out to Donovan Mitchell today, and he was emphatic in telling me that he is not disgruntled with anyone or anything in Cleveland. In fact, he said to me, 'I am happy in Cleveland. I've been happy since I arrived in Cleveland.' He thinks this team has made progress this season. ... But as he said, he's not in this to go to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

"Donovan Mitchell knows the question that is coming for him now in this offseason about his future in Cleveland. He said, 'I know I've got decision to make this offseason. My agent and I will talk to Cleveland about that at the right time.'

"[Mitchell] emphasized, 'I'm not leaving this season unhappy. I'm leaving it more determined.'"

Assuming Mitchell sticks around, the Cavs will essentially have their entire core back next season with Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, Caris LeVert and Max Strus all under contract.

That team should be among the best in the Eastern Conference again, but if Mitchell is not amenable to a contract extension, the Cavs will have to at least explore trading him to avoid losing him for nothing after the 2024-25 season.

While a trade isn't outside the realm of possibility, Windhorst expressed his belief that it is far more likely the Cavaliers will field trade calls on Allen, who has two years remaining on his deal at a salary of $20 million.

The Cleveland Cavaliers saw their season come to a disappointing end Wednesday in the Eastern Conference Semifinals at the hands of the buzzsaw-like Boston Celtics, losing the series 3-1.

Despite questions about star guard Donovan Mitchell's future with the organization in the wake of the loss, The Athletic's Shams Charania, Joe Vardon, and Jason Lloyd reported, "there is a growing sentiment around the league that the Cavaliers will be able to position themselves to receive his commitment for a lucrative contract extension that would keep him in Cleveland past his 30th birthday."

They continued, "Teammates have described Mitchell this season as singularly focused on winning and wanting Cleveland to aim much higher than a first-round series victory for its measure of success."

Therein lies where the Cavaliers must focus their attention if they want to keep Mitchell long-term and happy.

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reported that Donovan "grew frustrated with some teammates' lack of maturity, focus, playoff-level readiness and a willingness to listen."

Any player hyper-focused on winning a championship will naturally become frustrated with those around them that they do not believe to be as equally committed to greatness.

Add to that the Athletic report, which details mounting frustration with. and second-guessing of, head coach B.J. Bickerstaff, and there is plenty for Cleveland to address before they get Mitchell to put pen to paper.

Another potential issue is the roster, which may very well not look like it did this past season.

The same report from Charania, Vardon, and Lloyd stated that Darius Garland and his representation may request a trade with the Cavs front office amid diminishing stats due to Mitchell's role as facilitator of the offense, as well as the idea that "rival executives believe the Cavs will have to seriously evaluate the fit of Mitchell and Garland and ultimately may have to choose one or the other."

If the growing sentiment is that the team believes it can retain Mitchell on a long-term deal, it sounds as though the Cavs have already made their choice.

Rightfully so.

Mitchell averaged 26.6 points per game, shot 46.2 from the paint, and 36.8 from beyond the arc this season. He added 5.1 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.8 seals in 35.3 minutes.

He added 29.6 points in the postseason and was hardly the reason Cleveland experienced the disappointing conclusion to its season.

He is a star in a league full of them and easily the team's best player. It would be inherently worse without him. Inking him to a deal is a must, as is getting rid of anyone who does not share his vision.

A long-term, max deal suggests that the organization views him as one of the league's franchise players. Surrounding him with like-minded players, all determined to win the championship that has eluded them, is the right move.

Even if it means replacing the head coach and trading a player like Garland who may not mesh as well with Mitchell as team officials may have originally hoped.

Amid speculation that he's unhappy with his situation and could seek a trade this offseason, Cleveland Cavaliers star guard Donovan Mitchell has made it clear that those rumors are not accurate.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday's episode of NBA Countdown that he spoke directly with Mitchell and the 27-year-old denied the notion that he was looking to depart Cleveland soon.

"I reached out to Donovan Mitchell today," Wojnarowski said (h/t RealGM). "And he was emphatic in telling me that he is not disgruntled with anyone or anything in Cleveland. In fact, he said to me, 'I am happy in Cleveland. I've been happy since I arrived in Cleveland.'"

The Cavaliers acquired Mitchell from the Utah Jazz prior to the 2022-23 season. He's been selected to the All-Star Game in each of the last five years and helped lead Cleveland to a run to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, but he suffered a calf injury that sidelined him for the final two games of the series and the team lost to the Boston Celtics in five games.

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reported earlier on Thursday that Mitchell "grew frustrated with some teammates' lack of maturity, focus, playoff-level readiness and a willingness to listen" at times during the 2023-24 season. Wojnarowski noted that Mitchell believes the team improved, but he's not satisfied with how things ended.

"He thinks this team has made progress this season," Wojnarowski said. "Obviously, winning that best-of-seven first-round series against the Magic to get to the Conference Semifinals for the first time since 2018. But as he said, he's not in this to go to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs."

Mitchell is entering the final year of his contract, and it's expected that the Cavs will offer him a maximum extension of nearly $200 million over four years. He told Wojnarowski that he's in no rush to make a decision, but he's motivated to get back to work.

"Donovan Mitchell knows the question that is coming for him now in this offseason about his future in Cleveland," Wojnarowski said. "He said, 'I know I've got a decision to make this offseason. My agent and I will talk to Cleveland about that at the right time.' He emphasized, 'I'm not leaving this season unhappy. I'm leaving it more determined.'"

Donovan Mitchell is pushing back against reports he was frustrated by some of his Cleveland Cavaliers' teammates this season.

The five-time All-Star wrote on X he's "sick of yall sometimes" in response to Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor reporting on Friday he "grew frustrated with some teammates' lack of maturity, focus, playoff-level readiness and a willingness to listen."

Yeah aight 🧢 I’m sick of yall sometimes! https://t.co/B7zdP8APDk

— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) May 16, 2024

In the immediate aftermath of Cleveland's season-ending loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Wednesday night, stories about the organization's future came out.

Much of the focus is going to be on what happens with Mitchell this summer. He's eligible to sign a four-year, $208 million extension with the Cavs starting July 6, per ESPN's Bobby Marks.

Per The Athletic's Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd, there is a "growing sentiment" around the NBA that Cleveland will be able to position itself to get a long-term commitment from Mitchell.

The report also noted head coach J.B. Bickerstaff's job is "in serious jeopardy" following the loss to the Celtics, but the organization will take multiple days to make a decision about his future.

Even though Mitchell is under contract through next season with a player option for 2025-26, the Cavs presumably need an answer one way or another about his contract this offseason to maximize a potential trade return and avoid the risk of losing him next summer for nothing.

There are going to be many other roster questions not involving Mitchell for Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman to figure out.

Darius Garland, who signed a rookie max extension in July 2022, took a step back this season with his fewest points per game (18.0) since 2020-21, worst field-goal percentage (44.6) and three-point percentage (37.1) since his rookie year in 2019-20.

The Athletic's report notes Garland's camp would discuss a potential trade if Mitchell signs an extension with Cleveland, and "rival executives believe the Cavs will have to seriously evaluate the fit of Mitchell and Garland and ultimately may have to choose one or the other."

This season was messy for the Cavaliers, though some of that could be attributed to injuries. Mitchell, Garland and Evan Mobley all missed at least 25 games during the regular season. Mitchell sat out the final two games against the Celtics due to a strained calf.

Jarrett Allen was unable to play after Game 4 in the first round against the Orlando Magic due to a rib injury.

Despite those injury woes, the Cavaliers were able to finish fourth in the Eastern Conference for the second straight season. They won a playoff series for the first time since LeBron James' final year with the club in 2017-18.

Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen's absence from the team's final eight playoff games reportedly "caused frustration" with teammates.

Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reported some teammates and coaches felt Allen "could have done more to try and play" with his rib injury. In particular, there was confusion over the big man's refusal to have an injection to numb the pain.

Allen suffered bruised ribs during the Cavs' first-round series against the Orlando Magic. He sat out the final three games of that series and missed the entire second round against the Boston Celtics.

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reported Allen was dealing with "excruciating pain," but there were still "grumbles" over his seeming lack of urgency to get back on the floor.

The Cavs also played their final two playoff games without star Donovan Mitchell, who suffered a calf strain against the Celtics.

Before the injury, Allen was playing arguably his best basketball of the season. He averaged 17.0 points and 13.8 rebounds over the first four games against Orlando, providing an imposing presence in the middle of the floor.

Evan Mobley slid over to the center spot for the rest of the playoffs to inconsistent results. Allen and Mobley have been an awkward fit next to one another for their entire time as teammates, and Allen's absence might have provided a window into what the future would look like if Mobley took over at center long term.

The Cavs could explore Allen's trade market over the summer, especially now that his $20 million annual salary looks well below market value.

Who says you can't go home again, again?

LeBron James choosing to sit courtside during Game 4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers-Boston Celtics second-round series made quite the stir in the NBA world. The 39-year-old choosing to take his seat after the game started so all eyeballs were on him was likely no accident, either.

Was this done to put some healthy pressure on the Los Angeles Lakers to make sure that max contract was coming? Probably.

Is it possible this was a scouting trip to get a close-up look at Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and others as potential future teammates? Possibly.

If James does want to return to Cleveland for the final stretch of his career, he has a few options. Let's take a look at all four, starting with the least likely to the most.

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Option 1: James Becomes Unrestricted Free Agent, Signs Veteran Minimum Deal with Cavs

We'll keep this brief.

James would need to decline a $51.4 million player option for next season and instead agree to play for the $3.3 million veteran minimum salary reserved for players with 10 years of service or more.

Even though he once took a pay cut in 2010 so the Miami Heat could sign Mike Miller and keep Udonis Haslem, giving up $48.1 million so the Cavs could maintain their full mid-level exception seems extremely unlikely now.

For someone who wants to be part of the ownership group that brings an expansion NBA team to Las Vegas, James isn't walking away from nearly $50 million now.

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Option 2: James Becomes Unrestricted Free Agent, Signs for $12.9 million Mid-Level Exception with Cavs

The Cavaliers won't have any cap space this summer, but avoiding the luxury tax does allow them the opportunity to use their full non-taxpayer mid-level exception of $12.9 million.

James almost certainly isn't signing for $3.3 million, but would $12.9 million move the needle?

This would allow the Cavs to retain their core of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, Max Strus, Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, Dean Wade and others without having to send back players in a potential trade. It gives James his best chance to win a title with this group, sliding into the starting lineup ahead of Strus.

Cleveland would be set up to maximize the rest of James' career, with Mitchell (27), Allen (26), Garland (24) and Mobley (22) already in or about to enter their primes.

Still, this is a lot of money for James to be leaving on the table. What other choices do both sides have?

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Option 3: James Becomes Unrestricted Free Agent, Lakers and Cavs Agree to Sign-and-Trade

Sign-and-trades are never easy, but they do happen. The Cavs acquired Strus from the Miami Heat in a three-team sign-and-trade last summer. Kevin Durant and D'Angelo Russell were part of a double sign-and-trade between the Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets in 2019. The Warriors didn't want to lose Durant, but they were determined to get something back for him lest he leave in free agency for nothing.

The Lakers could be under similar pressure now.

Unless Los Angeles can acquire a third star this offseason, James may be tired of still carrying the offensive load as he approaches his age-40 season. Playing alongside Mitchell with the Cavs would give him the opportunity to be the No. 2 for a change, a transition he should be more than happy to take on during the course of an 82-game season.

Of course, Mitchell is the first player the Lakers are asking for in exchange for James, however. Would the four-time MVP still want to come to the Cavs if Mitchell wasn't there? This seems unlikely.

Cleveland and L.A. would need to do some major haggling while trying to iron out a new contract for James. The move would also hard cap the Cavaliers, meaning they couldn't exceed the first tax apron of $178.7 million.

The Cavs are currently $19.7 million below the line before utilizing their mid-level exception, re-signing restricted free agent Isaac Okoro or making any additional signings or trades.

This option makes sure James gets paid, but is also the most complicated to pull off.

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Option 4: James Accepts $51.4 million Player Option and Requests Trade to Cavs

This seems like the most likely option overall.

James may not get a multi-year deal like with a sign-and-trade, but he doesn't have to take a pay cut this season, either. We saw James Harden pick up his $35.6 million player option last summer so that the Philadelphia 76ers could more easily trade him instead of choosing to become a free agent and having Philly attempt a sign-and-trade.

The Cavs wouldn't be hard capped this way, either. This means Cleveland could still trade for James, use its full $12.9 million mid-level exception and likely re-sign Okoro to a multi-year deal without going into the second tax apron.

The hard part becomes finding a deal that the Lakers would accept.

James can put all the pressure he wants on L.A. to figure out a trade, including threatening to sign with another team in free agency. The Lakers couldn't justify trading him for a package of salary filler like Strus, LeVert, Niang and Wade, though. The two sides would need to meet in the middle.

Assuming Mitchell is off the table, Garland becomes the most likely option to be included in a trade.

Garland is also a Klutch client and was picked by James in the 2022 All-Star draft ahead of Mitchell, Jimmy Butler and other more established players. James would likely push for him to stay, although this may be the line in the sand for the Lakers to draw.

With Garland's $36.7 million salary as a starting point to try to match James' $51.4 million, the Cavs would need to include a player like Allen, Mobley, Strus or LeVert for the money to work. Cleveland would likely balk at the addition of Allen or Mobley, especially since we don't know how many years James has left.

A package of Garland and LeVert with some potential draft picks added in (Cleveland has the No. 20 overall pick in 2024) may be the best middle ground. The Cavs could shift Mitchell to a full-time point guard role, slide Strus up to shooting guard and employ a big frontline of James, Mobley and Allen. The Lakers would pair Garland with Anthony Davis and would now have four first-round picks to go star-shopping with while keeping Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, LeVert and others.

This is the cleanest way for James to end up back in Cleveland. The veteran forward still gets paid, the Cavs look like title contenders, and the Lakers obtain enough pieces to reset a competitive roster around Davis.

If James comes home again, this is almost certainly the path he'll take.

Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell enjoyed another spectacular individual season in 2023-24, but as he gets set to enter the final year of his contract, details have emerged regarding some irritation he reportedly expressed behind the scenes.

According to Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor, Mitchell "grew frustrated with some teammates' lack of maturity, focus, playoff-level readiness and a willingness to listen" at times during the 2023-24 campaign.

Mitchell and the Cavs secured the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference this season with a 48-34 record, and while they beat the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs, they fell 4-1 to the top-seeded Boston Celtics in the second round.

On Wednesday, the Cavs were without Mitchell for a crucial Game 5 matchup with the Celtics due to a calf strain. With Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert also out injured, Cleveland was no match for the mighty Celtics, falling 113-98 and seeing its season end.

Mitchell has spent the past two seasons with the Cavaliers since getting traded from the Utah Jazz, and he has been named an All-Star in each of his two campaigns in Cleveland.

This season, the 27-year-old averaged 26.6 points, 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 3.3 three-pointers made and 1.8 steals per game, but injuries were an issue, as he was limited to 55 regular-season contests.

Spida went on to average 29.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 10 playoff games, and he is a big reason the Cavs were able to win their first playoff series since LeBron James' last season with the franchise in 2018.

Mitchell reached the playoffs five straight times during his tenure in Utah, but the Jazz were eliminated three times in the first round and never made it past the second round, and the lack of a deep playoff run contributed heavily toward his getting dealt to Cleveland.

In two seasons with the Cavaliers, Mitchell has dealt with similar issues, so it is fair to wonder if his preference is to opt out of his contract and become a free agent after the 2024-25 campaign rather than signing an extension.

Fedor noted that Mitchell has "repeatedly mentioned how happy he is in Cleveland and how much he likes this situation," but if he is not open to signing an extension, it's possible the Cavs could trade him this coming offseason.

Outside of Mitchell, the Cavaliers have a relatively young team without a ton of playoff experience. Allen, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley are Cleveland's three best players besides Mitchell, and all of them were 25 or younger when the season started.

It is entirely possible that as they grow together and gain more experience, they will be a force to be reckoned with in postseason situations, but given that they were at far less than 100 percent, they were no match for a Celtics team that won an NBA-high 64 games during the regular season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers' season came to an end Wednesday with their 113-98 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of their second-round series, and now all eyes turn toward the future.

With that in mind, Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reported that Darius Garland's representation, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, would discuss a potential trade with the team's front office if Donovan Mitchell decides to stay in Cleveland on a long-term contract extension.

The report also noted that "rival executives believe the Cavs will have to seriously evaluate the fit of Mitchell and Garland and ultimately may have to choose one or the other."

Mitchell is under contract for just one more season with a player option for the 2025-26 campaign.

There have been plenty of trade rumors surrounding the five-time All-Star, and everything Cleveland does this offseason will likely revolve around what happens with the go-to option.

On paper, Garland is more of a long-term option for the Cavaliers since he is signed through the 2027-28 season. The front office figures to build around him and Evan Mobley if Mitchell is ultimately traded or decides to go elsewhere, but the equation would change if he returns.

There is something to be said about Mitchell's presence as a ball-dominant guard impacting Garland's overall development and ceiling. Perhaps he would be better fitted somewhere else where he can be the primary option and facilitator, especially since he is still just 24 years old.

Yet he struggled without Mitchell in Wednesday's loss and went 4-of-17 from the field. If the Cavaliers were going to have any chance at an upset win on the road without Mitchell, Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen, they needed a better performance than that from the point guard.

But changes need to be made if Cleveland is going to compete with the likes of the Celtics and other top teams in the Eastern Conference next season and beyond.

Trading Mitchell would be something of a reset. Keeping him and trading Garland could allow the front office to get some win-now pieces in return, which might bring Cleveland a bit closer to the top of the conference.

If nothing else, the Cavaliers will be one of the teams to watch this offseason.