Topics to think about in late July for our Cleveland Cavaliers

1. Does Donovan Mitchell Want to Stay In “The Land”?

On a recent ESPN NBA podcast, ESPN Writer Tim Bontemps said “I don’t think there’s any chance he (Donovan Mitchell) signs an extension there ever. And if it was up to me, I would trade Donovan Mitchell today” and then he went on to say, “now I also am fully aware that’s not what they’re gonna do and I understand why.” 

Two-part question:

1a – Should the Cavs think about trading Donovan Mitchell if he does not extend?

Andy –

No, they should not think about trading Donovan Mitchell and the reason is the Cleveland Cavaliers have a two-year window to win big with the core that they have, and there’s a chance with the leadership of Mitchell to really make it big. 

Furthermore, in the NBA compared to other sports, getting prospects and or a draft pick haul does not mean winning big compared to baseball or football.  To use a famous NBA line, four quarters do not always equal a dollar in the NBA.  Meaning, just because a team trades a star player for a group of good players does not mean the team will be successful. 

Having a star player, and Donovan is a star player, is a unique opportunity that a good portion of teams don’t experience in a season.  The Cavs need to maximize this opportunity with Mitchell and their young talented roster.  Cleveland needs to prove to Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen that they are focused on trying to win big and want success at the highest level every season, not worrying about players leaving or improving the roster for future seasons.

Tony –

As it stands right now, there’s zero chance I would trade Donovan Mitchell. He’s the clear number one on this team and one of the most gifted scorers in all of basketball. While the young core of this team is strong, they won’t reach their full potential without Mitchell. As Andy said, it sends a horrible message to the future of this team if they sell off a star player.

If Mitchell came out and made it evident, he would not sign an extension in Cleveland, it becomes a tougher decision. The haul to get Mitchell to Cleveland was massive, losing late first-round picks, but mainly losing Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, and Collin Sexton. When it’s clear a star isn’t going to return, the entire team’s morale goes down the drain, and hopes of winning anything go out the window in most cases. Making a huge deal to get Mitchell here just to lose him for nothing would sting, but I wouldn’t trade him unless he made it known he’s gone, and even then, it would take a lot.

1b – Is Tim right, will Mitchell never sign an extension with Cleveland?

Tony –

I don’t think there have been any signs so far that Mitchell would not sign the massive supermax contract we can offer him. While a move to get a player of Mitchell’s caliber tends to indicate a team is going all-in, last year nor this year is the end-all-be-all for this Cavs’ core. I continue to believe that this team’s ceiling relies on Evan Mobley’s ability to fulfill his potential. With him being just 22 and the rest of the core being very young, the window for a championship has the potential to be very long.

This season is a crucial one in hopes of making Mitchell a Cavalier for the foreseeable future. By no means does this group have to go out and win the championship this year for him to come back, but another first-round exit like the 2023 playoffs might change things for the worse. If the team shows they’re making strides together as a championship team, and the front office continues to make all-in moves to make Mitchell happy, I don’t see why he wouldn’t want to stay long-term.

Reports continue to come out that the Cavs are giving him the “red carpet” treatment and surrounding him with familiar faces like Georges Niang and Ty Jerome shows their willingness to listen to him and make this the best possible situation. If this Cavs team cannot get it done in the next few years with the talent around Mitchell, I don’t see a way he wins with the Knicks with the current roster they have.

Andy –

Currently, I believe there is a narrative being spun that Mitchell will not sign and will eventually end up in New York.  That helps the drama of Mitchell wanting to leave and there are some logical signs that say he might just do that.

Also, and most importantly, NBA superstars hold out to maximize money and the best opportunity to be successful.  This a reminder that Mitchell is not unique, a good portion of NBA superstars do not sign early because there’s little advantage to doing so.  Mitchell wants to have the best situation possible and make as much money as possible.  Not signing any kind of extension is not throwing shade to the Cavs, it is the norm.

The Cavs can get Mitchell to resign by winning big and showing there’s a championship possibility.  Right now, Cleveland was eliminated in the first round so there is no positive momentum, but let’s see what happens in the next two seasons before drawing the conclusion he’s not coming back.

That said, on July 29^th, 2023, it is not likely that Mitchell is going to be in Cleveland for the 2025-26 season.  Time will tell and minds can change quickly with winning.

2 – Regarding what is being rumored, that eventually Mitchell will be leaving Cleveland in two years, do the Cavs need to win big and make the Eastern Conference Finals in 2023-24? 

Andy –

This is a tough question; it would help a lot for the Cavs to get into the East Finals.  I can see that swaying a player, especially if he is gaining success and likes his teammates. 

I don’t believe the Cavs have to be in the Eastern Conference Finals, but they do need to take a big forward step.  Being eliminated from the first round is not good enough, they must make the second round.  If the Cavs don’t show growth or be competitive in the playoffs, and they were not competitive in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, then the Mitchell narrative is going to become more fact and the Cavs are going to have to reevaluate the roster.  2023-24 for the Cleveland Cavaliers is going to determine not just Mitchell, but the future of the club of who is going to represent the team moving forward.

Tony –

The Eastern Conference Finals is a good goal and is certainly not out of the question because of the talent on this team. However, the Celtics, Heat, and Bucks have been dominating the East in recent years and are all primed to do it again. While I think the Cavs will be better than the Heat if they don’t acquire Damian Lillard, beating out the Celtics or Bucks for a spot in the conference finals is a very tall task and would undoubtedly be a successful season.

When I look at the teams in the East, I am comfortable saying the Bucks, Heat, and Celtics are better than them. I believe the Cavs should be superior to every other Eastern Conference team, which would make a second-round appearance a successful season in my opinion. They don’t necessarily need to be among the top tier of NBA teams this year, but they need to show they are well on their way to becoming a dominant force in the Eastern Conference once again.

3 – The starting rotation for the 2023-24 Cleveland is what and why?

Tony –

Darius Garland

Donovan Mitchell

Max Strus

Evan Mobley

Jarrett Allen

With the significant investment made to acquire the sharpshooter Max Strus, the best starting lineup the team can put out this year is with him at the three instead of Isaac Okoro or Caris LeVert. While Strus isn’t a fantastic defender, he’s used to being hunted in Miami, and Spoelstra often opted for him over Duncan Robinson because his defense is manageable. More than anything, the spacing Strus provides for the offense is going to take it to another level, elevating the games of everyone by allowing so much more room in the paint.

I believe this will be the go-to lineup for the entirety of the regular season, but come playoff time, matchups may force other lineups to close out the game. Georges Niang can replace Jarrett Allen when the spacing still isn’t good enough and really allow the offense to flourish. Caris LeVert provides better size and could see an uptick in minutes against teams that are too big for the small backcourt of Garland and Mitchell.

While no big-name free agents were brought in this year, the moves that were made give the team much more versatility and spacing. Prioritizing guys with great off-ball gravity was at the top of the wish list, and the offense should be much more free-flowing this season.

Andy –

Donovan Mitchell

Darius Garland

Max Strus

Evan Mobley

Jarrett Allen

Max Strus is a better player than Isaac Okoro and I believe Caris LeVert is best served coming off the bench as he can replace not just Strus, but he can give a rest to either Garland or Mitchell if needed.

As a fan, I would not get too wrapped up in the starting lineup, but I would pay attention to how the game closes.  I believe late in games; you are going to see a lot of Georges Niang come in for Allen and LaVert for Strus in certain situations.   I believe you are going to see Mobley become the five late in the 4th quarter with a combination of Mitchell, Garland along with a combination of Strus, Niang, and LaVert depending on the game

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