NBA Rumors: Donovan Mitchell could force exit from Cleveland if Cavs don’t win championship

The Orlando Magic gave the Cleveland Cavaliers all they could handle in a first-round Eastern Conference playoff series, but back-to-back clutch performances from Donovan Mitchell ultimately sent the Magic home and the Cavs into the second round for the first time since 2017-18.

Mitchell had 50 points in Game 6 and 39 points, nine rebounds and five assists in Game 7. His heroics earned Cleveland a date with the top-seeded Boston Celtics, and despite another 30-plus point game from their star guard, the Cavs were blown out in Boston by 25.

Mitchell’s 33 points in Game 1 made him the fourth player in league history to score 30 or more points in six straight playoff series openers, per ESPN.

His supporting cast has been a problem throughout this postseason, though. Center Jarrett Allen is the team’s second-leading scorer, but he hasn’t played since Game 4 of the Magic series after suffering a rib injury. Darius Garland (14.8 points) and Evan Mobley (12.8) are the only other Cavaliers averaging double digits in scoring.

Rumors about Mitchell’s future have been swirling all season, and they’re only getting stronger.

Donovan Mitchell could reportedly force his way out of Cleveland barring a surprise title run

The Cavaliers would prefer not to trade their best player, but the five-time All-Star could become the next NBA superstar to use his leverage and strong-arm his way out of his current situation.

Mitchell is expected to decline his $37.1 million player option for 2025-26, which would make him an unrestricted free agent after next season. That would leave Cleveland with a dilemma: Hold onto the 27-year-old and try to convince him to sign a long-term extension or trade him.

The latter seems like the ideal option if the Cavs want to recoup some of the massive haul of assets they sent to the Utah Jazz to acquire Mitchell, which included Lauri Markkanen, three first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps.

To be clear, Cleveland doesn’t have to do anything this summer; Mitchell is under contract for 2024-25. But NBA franchises have learned – often painfully – that players dictate player movement, not their teams.

Beating the Celtics seems like a long shot, even if Mitchell puts up another series of 50-point games. That makes the Cavaliers’ chances of keeping him beyond this season equally as remote.

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