DONOVAN MITCHELL’s extension with the CAVS is the most important part of the summer | Locked On Cavs

DONOVAN MITCHELL’s extension with the CAVS is the most important part of the summer | Locked On Cavs

on today’s show the NBA off season has officially arrived the Cavs have business to tend to and Donovan Mitchell is the most important part of it you are locked on Cavs your daily Cleveland Cavaliers podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day thanks for making lock on Cavs your first listen ever every day you can find us wherever you get your podcast Apple Spotify anywhere else be sure to give us a festar review write a nice review for us subscribe also free and available on YouTube hit that like button smash the Subscribe Button as well coming at you live every single day on YouTube wherever you you get your podcasts proud part of the lockdown podcast Network Today’s Show is brought to you by FanDuel new customers visit fanduel.com locked on and add big to your summer bucket list FanDuel America’s number one sports book I’m Danny Cunningham you might know me for my time covering the Cavaliers at places such as Cleveland magazine 923 the fan other places as well from time to time we’ve got a lot to get into but as we know on Monday night the NBA season wrapped up Boston Celtics NBA champions the off season now is here for each team in the league League it’s been here for the Cavs for a little while but I think this is the perfect time to sort of reset what needs to happen for the Cavaliers this off season I think obviously the coaching search is still ongoing as I record this Tuesday night um I think it’s going to wrap up shortly um I don’t see why or how much longer this really should drag out I think this is something that should be taken care of sooner rather than later we’ll dive into that coming up a little bit there’s the questions surrounding the core for with the Cavaliers but first the first thing that we need to talk about with the Cavs this off season priority number one for the organization is locking up Donovan Mitchell to a contract extension we all know the story with Donovan he was acquired via trade with the Utah Jazz in September of 2022 has been an awesome member of the Cavalier years since that trade he’s got one year left on his deal and then a player option the year following meaning that theoretically if he doesn’t and I don’t believe this is the world we’re living in but if he doesn’t sign a contract extension with the Cavs he could be a free agent next summer he could turn down that player option and he could be a free agent hit the open market go to whatever team he chooses again I don’t believe that’s going to be the case but just just to take a step back and look at where things stand and why this is so important so the routes that this could go include just that exact scenario I laid out happening Mitchell just deciding to not sign a contract extension and instead signal to the Cavaliers that you know he might like to be traded elsewhere that he might like to go to a different situation which I don’t think is very likely and third the situation I think is the most likely to occur and I think is the prevailing feeling at this point across the NBA that Donovan Mitchell will sign an extension and stay in Cleveland I believe that’s going to be the case I’m not saying Donovan Mitchell is going to be in Cleveland forever I’m not saying Donovan Mitchell is going to finish his career as a member of the Cavs but I believe Donovan Mitchell is going to sign a contract extension and stay in Cleveland I think that there are a number of reasons why it makes sense for Donovan obviously I don’t need to talk about why it makes sense for the Cavs he is a terrific player when he’s been in Cleveland he’s been a top 10 player um in all of basketball he’s been awesome I don’t need to explain you know why it makes sense for the Cavs to to sign him to an extension anyone that watches this basketball team or just watches the NBA knows why that makes a ton of sense but I think that there are a few reasons for Donovan that this makes a lot of sense as to why he should sign a contract extension here the first reason I don’t think the Cavs are that far away I’m not saying that they’re that they’re only a move away from being the Boston Celtics but I do think that we are in an era of the NBA right now where parody I don’t know if it’s at an all-time high I think that’s probably a little foolish to say considering the 75 plus year history of the NBA but parody in the NBA right now is higher than it’s been in the last couple of decades to where we’ve not had a repeat champion in what seven years at this point the last repeat Champion was the Golden State Warriors in 2017 2018 so it’s you know it’s been a long time six years I I guess from this finals it’ll be seven years next season since that’s happened where yeah the Boston Celtics have been in a lot of Conference Finals but you’re not seeing a ton of teams that are just dominating the league Boston was an awesome team this year but who knows what’s going to happen next year and what I think the lesson to be learned from that for the Cavs is that the Cavs might not be as far away as at times we had thought they were like yeah they lost in the second round in a series that wasn’t all that competitive certainly would have been more competitive had Donovan Mitchell been healthy um had jar Allen been available to play for the Cavaliers those are things that could have made that series competitive more competitive than it was I should say but I don’t think the Cavs are that far away now they’re more than just one or two moves away but they’re not far off and I think when you’re in Donovan Mitchell’s shoes to where he’s made a ton of money in his career and he’s going to continue to make a ton of money in his career um I don’t know how long this extension that I expect to get signed will be four but it’s going to be you know a ton of money but for him I really believe it’s about being in a winning situation and I think that the Cavs are that and I think that the Cavs do have Avenues to better their situation increase their chances of winning and when the era we are in right now in the NBA is there’s not super teams like Boston’s really good but this isn’t the mid-2010s where yes the Cavs were were part of it and you know happy anniversary for the Cavs title which that is today June 19th as you’re listening to this we’re not in that era where there are two teams that are Head and Shoulders above every everybody else like there were probably five or six teams this year that you could have told me they’ll win the title and I wouldn’t have been stunned I wouldn’t have been all that surprised being in that era and having a player like Donovan Mitchell means that if the Right Moves are made on the margins and the move those moves are not all that easy to always pull off the Cavs can find themselves in that situation and I think that is one of the biggest reasons as to why Donovan Mitchell signing this contract to extension in Cleveland makes sense because the Cavs are in a winning situation and sure there are better situations across the NBA but how many of those situations can trade everything that they would need to trade to acquire Donovan Mitchell and still be a championship Contender I don’t think it’s a high number I’m not sure what the specific ones are and I think that into this too but I do expect that contract extension to be signed I don’t have a timetable as to when but I think it is something that will get done and while that might not be the first order of business that gets taken care of for the Cavs this summer it is certainly the most important order of business for the Cavs to take care of this summer another one of the reasons as to why I think it makes a lot of sense for Donovan Mitchell to sign the extension when a team such as as the Cavs is offering you the amount of money that it’s going to be offered if it’s the full thing you know it’s over $200 million if they decide if they agree upon the maximum number of years it’s over $200 million if a team offers you that and you are an NBA player take it just take it like there’s no reason not to yeah maybe two years from now you’re ready for a change of scenery but you want to have that money guaranteed and lockedown and anytime a team is saying hey we want to pay You2 200 plus million dollar I don’t care who you are if an NBA team is saying that my advice and this is not just to Donovan Mitchell this is to every Star in the NBA every player in the NBA ever that will be offered that amount of money my advice to you as you’re watching this as you’re listening this is to take that money because we have seen guys that have taken that money and decid you know what this isn’t for me I want to figure this out somewhere else that happens far more often than I wish it did in the NBA but it happens in the NBA quite a bit and I’m not saying that this is what that that that’s what this situation will be but it has to be part of the thought process if you are on the player side of this it’s you know what I’m happy here for now I might not be happy here forever but the extra $200 million is going to be really nice and sure there are other organiz ations that would love to give Donovan Mitchell that kind of money but the Cavs are the one that I think is the best situation for him so it’s not just a financial thing it’s not just a best situation thing it’s a combination of both of those things and those are two of the biggest reasons why I think Donovan Mitchell is going to sign a contract extension with the Cavs and be in Cleveland for the next several years I I can’t predict how long I can’t predict that he’s going to retire as a member of the Cavs but I would expect him to be in Cleveland for the next several years that is the biggest piece of the puzzle the Cavs need to figure out this off season and the next biggest piece of the puzzle isn’t actually the coaching search it’s what are you going to do about the core for that’s next right on lock right here on lockon Cavs 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exclusions do apply eBay guaranteed fit only available to us customers so we know that the coaching search is something that still needs to be figured out for the Cavs and I will talk about that at the end of today’s show but the next most important thing following the Donovan Mitchell decision and contract extension for the Cavs to figure out is what to do about the core for and I know this is something that I’ve talked about a lot here on lock on Cavs and I only talk about it so much because I think it’s so important for the growth of this team I really do I think there are legitimate reasons as I talked about earlier this week one to keep the core for together I think that there are reasons for that there are reasons it makes sense continuity is a rare thing in the NBA it is and you look at some teams a team just won the title on Monday night thanks to a lot of continuity now they were able to add some really great players on the margins the Boston Celtics were but they’ve had some continuity their core has been continuous trying to emulate that I don’t think is the worst strategy in the world I don’t but I do have some questions I have questions as to if the core force sticks together how do you get the most out of everybody how is everybody that’s part of that group because at the end of the day with that group I think there are four All-Star players I think Jared Allen is an All-Star big man I think Evan moble is going to be an All-Star I think Donovan Mitchell is a perennial All-Star all-nba MVP candidate even though I don’t think he’ll actually ever win an MVP Darius Garland had an awful year he had a nightmare of a season but I still think he is an All-Star caliber player he’s just got to build himself back up how do does this organization how do the Cavs ensure that if all four of those guys remain in the picture that the most has gotten out of all four of them that’s the question that needs to be asked if they are intent on keeping all four members of this Core group together that question needs to be asked because if it’s not what’s the point point of keeping them together what’s the avenue to getting the most out of Evan Moy to allowing Evan to reach his ceiling if Jared Allen’s on the floor next to him if Donovan Mitchell resigns signs his contract extension like so many people expect him to what’s the best way to get the most out of Darius Garland now I think in the back court we’ve seen it more those two playing well together than we have in the front court because if you think back to the first year of Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland you know I think he and Darius Garland coexisted pretty well I thought that both of them played well I thought it was the best basketball of Donovan’s career and while it might not technically have been the best basketball of darius’s career he was a pretty similar player to the guy that was an All-Star the year before his usage just went down a little bit because he was playing with a superstar guard and that’s something that just tends to happen but how do you get the most out of all four of those guys that’s the question that you need to ask and right now I think that searching for answers there is still okay but if you do decide to separate them which is the question that that needs answered here I don’t know how difficult of a decision it is but I wonder how much you know there has been reporting certainly at the athletic that if Mitchell does sign a contract extension that clutch Sports and Rich Paul might have a conversation with with the Cavaliers about finding a new opportunity for Darius Garland about seeking out a trade for him so that he can be maximized in another organization that maybe is in a little bit more need of a point guard in need of somebody to carry the load offensively that the Cavs are just not going to be in that position because of Donovan Mitchell I understand it I do I get that if if I’m part of Darius Garland’s Camp I totally understand that because he I believe is an awesome player still I I really truly do think that but I also understand that in Cleveland it might not be the best situation for him to show just how good he is it might not be it’s hard it’s really really difficult for an NBA team to have two players you know not at the same position but similar skill set players both be Allstars in the same year you don’t see that very often in the league it’s it’s pretty rare to see two guards from the same team make an All-Star team it just doesn’t happen all that frequently it doesn’t I think it happens more in the front Court than it does in the back court but if Donovan Mitchell is going to be in Cleveland and going to be a perennial Allstar which I have to think most of us believe that he’s going to be what is there left for darus so is that maybe the move you want to make or not necessarily want to make but are nudged into making by darius’s agency I don’t know or do you turn to the front court and say hey Jared Allen’s trade value is probably not going to be higher than it is this summer he’s coming off of an awesome year even if the playoffs left a little bit to be desired and there’s been some questioning of his toughness for not receiving a painkilling injection during the postseason to his ribs I don’t think that just decimated his value I think he’s still pretty sought after by a lot of NBA teams so maybe you take that route and say well it’s not that J it’s not awesome it’s that his value is so high and maybe moving on from him and repurposing his talent into a similarly talented player on the wing will allow Evan Mobley to thrive and allow that situation to be better especially offensively even if maybe a little bit of a step back is taken on the defensive of the floor maybe I I don’t know um I think it would depend on who is replacing him and and what else fills around the roster but I think that that’s something to think about if you’re the Cavs and you’re making this decision but I think that’s probably the second most important decision the Cavs have or I I guess not decision because they’re not making a decision on Donovan Mitchell’s contract you know they’re willing to offer him whatever because he’s that good and he’s that important whatever contract demands and stipulations Donovan will have I do not believe the Cavs would have any issue um acquiescing to I think that they are willing to give him whatever he wants so I don’t know that that qualifies for as a decision but I think once that settled it allows the Cavs to take maybe a little bit of a closer look at this core four situation there’s one other thing the Cavs have to figure out and this is the thing that I actually expect to be figured out first that’s the coaching situation that’s next right here on lockdown Cavs Today’s Show is presented to you by FanDuel summer is here finally it’s very very warm here in Northeast Ohio and FanDuel has you covered for all of your summer bets obviously no more NBA can’t bet on NBA until summer league arrives um coming up next month but there are still plenty of things to bet on one of my favorite things to bet on using FanDuel is going through and selecting players in Major League Baseball that I think have a good chance to hit a home run I think that’s a really fun way to spend to spend some time on FanDuel and if you’re a new customer right now you can get $200 $200 in bonus Bets with any winning $5 bet so maybe you think the Cleveland Guardians are going to win today throw five bucks down if you’re a new customer at FanDuel you get $200 in bonus bets if they come through and they win for you 200 bucks you can use to bet anything from baseball WNBA so on whatever you desire FanDuel will will allow you to use those bonus bets go to fanduel.com locked on that’s fanduel.com l d n and you can add a big win to your summer bucket list FanDuel America’s number one sports book so the cabs are still in the process of hiring a head coach and I’m at the point where I’m one truthfully I am a little surprised with how long this search has taken I thought that this search wouldn’t necessarily be quick but I didn’t think that it would drag on to June 19th as we sit here and listen to this I didn’t think it would go that long when Kobe Alman Cavs president of basketball operations spoke at his postseason media availability and this was after they had relieved JB bicker staff of his duties when he spoke he said you know we would like to have a coach in place by the draft but that might be a little aggressive and I was standing there thinking I mean that’s a little more than a month before the draft I didn’t think a coaching search should take quite that long but here we are and it’s been you know three and a half four weeks that we’ve been waiting for any bit of news surrounding this I will say I still think it’s James brego that’s going to be the guy um that is a a guess I’m not necessarily reporting that that’s a guess um but I think that he’s going to be the guy that Cavs end up with if it’s not him I would expect it to be Kenny ainson because those are the two guys that we’ve heard about time and time again we have heard from the start the moment JB bicker staff was relieved of his duties right W reported the news first and he said Kenny Atkinson James brego two candidates to watch when the Cavs brought in guys for in-person interviews who were the first two names that were mentioned well it was Kenny Atkinson and it was James burgo I think it’s going to be bgo um I’ve bounced back and forth you know I I think if you’ve been listening to the show since they started doing this just under three weeks ago you know that Kenny ainson was the guy I wanted as I’ve done more digging into this you know I’m starting to come around more and more on James brego I really like what he’s done offensively at pass stops I love the fact that he’s got history in San Antonio as part of what I think has been one of the best run organizations not just in basketball but all of sports the fact that he has coached there I do think is a pretty solid feather in his cap I think that he can get the most out of teams that are led by guards and there’s no question about it whether it’s going to be just Donovan or just Darius or both of them the Cavs are going to be a team that is led by a really Dynamic guard and I think having James brego able to do that would be a really good thing for the Cavs I think he could hope to figure out some of their their offensive woses and that’s where I ultimately see this search ending up but I’m a little bit surprised that we’ve not gotten to that point that conclusion quite yet I do think it will be sometime soon though the draft is next Thursday I I think that they will have someone in place prior to the NBA draft on June 26th I do think that’s where that will be thank you for listening to today’s episode of lock on Cavs thank you for making us your first listen every day of course part of the lock on podcast Network your team every day I do want to remind you guys I know there have been a lot of comments I’ve gotten a lot on Twitter I’ve checked some YouTube comments as well going to do a mailbag episode on Friday’s show so if you’ve got questions for Friday’s show you can either comment on this video below right after you like it and subscribe then drop a comment or you can tweet me at realy Cunningham or of course at the show account at lockon Cavs so if you want a mailbag question to get answered on Friday drop your comments drop your questions I will get to them later this week super super excited for that but thank you for hanging out with me today we’ll be back tomorrow trying to line up some draft things I’m trying to get a guest on it’s been a little difficult uh scheduling wise but I do promise draft content is coming soon uh I know there are some draft questions in the mailbag so that’s going to be a big big part of that too on Friday but I will be back tomorrow with yet another show maybe we’ll have a coaching update we will see what the Day brings for us but have a great day everybody enjoy your uh your Cavaliers Championship anniversary as it is June 19th I will talk to you tomorrow right here on locked on C have

Signing Donovan Mitchell to a contract extension is the most important thing the Cleveland Cavaliers can do this offseason.

On Wednesday’s Locked On Cavs, Danny Cunningham (@RealDCunningham) of Cleveland Magazine and 92.3 The Fan discusses the three biggest things the Cleveland Cavaliers need to take care of this offseason.

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