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By Aman Sharma
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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell told ESPN he signed a four-year, $273 million extension to end any doubt about his future in Cleveland. Holding off one more year would have put an extra $80 million within reach, but the contract now ties him to the franchise through 2031 while the Cavs sit at 6-6.
That decision handed coach Kenny Atkinson certainty after a spring that ended with a sweep by the New York Knicks, who went on to win the title. Mitchell, who married singer Coco Jones in August, called his offseason “the summer of celebrations.”
He has spoken for years about his affection for the organization and for Cleveland. He didn’t want stalled talks following the club into the 2026-27 campaign.
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Atkinson felt the relief.
“When doubt lingers in an organization, it’s not great,” Atkinson said. “Everybody’s just unsettled. So, the fact that Don locked it up, that was huge. It’s like a sigh of relief. You know you’re going to have your leader and it’s going to give you stability. It helps you just move forward quicker.”
Mitchell made nine straight playoff trips to open his career without a conference finals appearance until Cleveland outlasted the Toronto Raptors in seven games and won Game 7 at top-seeded Detroit.
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No Cavs team without LeBron James had gone that far in 34 years. The sweep that followed left Cleveland 8-10 across those playoffs.
“In the moment it kind of leaves a sour taste in your mouth,” Mitchell told ESPN. “But as you sit … you have to realize, OK, you’ve done something you haven’t done before. OK. Now that’s great, but I wouldn’t call it an accomplishment. I would just call it a step.”
Regular seasons were never the issue. The Cavs won 51, 48, 64 and 52 games during Mitchell’s four seasons there.
After James chose Philadelphia, the Cavs bet on continuity, and it has wobbled. The starting lineup owns a minus-12.0 net rating, while James Harden, 37, is averaging 16.7 points and 5.6 assists on 39% shooting, his weakest output since 2012-13, when he first started full time.
Mitchell pointed to the Knicks, whose two second-round exits and a conference finals loss came before their championship. On Dec. 19 last season, the Cavs had won just one more game than they’d lost, yet they still claimed the No. 4 seed. Their star is signed through 2031.
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