Donovan Mitchell isn't signing an extension this summer, and Koby Altman's patient approach doesn't suit the star guard's timeline. So how can the Cavs convince him to stay long term?
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell told reporters he would not be signing a long-term extension in Cleveland before opening night.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When Donovan Mitchell took the mic on Monday, Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman was watching and listening. Altman sat in the arena seats to Mitchell’s left and a few rows deep. If the Cavs’ top executive monitored any other player interviews at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, cleveland.com didn’t notice.
But until the four-time All Star puts pen to paper, the Cavs must consider him a flight risk. Mitchell turned 27 last month, which means his next contract will bleed into his 30s, which means he will think carefully about where he signs it. And lest we forget: Mitchell never picked Cleveland; he merely accepted the city.
To that last point, Altman and coach J.B. Bickerstaff still consider last season a success. In fact, Bickerstaff can’t see it another way. Bickerstaff pointed to last season’s NBA Finals, which featured the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat, as proof. Those teams, like last season’s Cavs, had suffered disappointing playoff exits within the previous two seasons. But neither team reacted by firing staffers or overhauling personnel. Instead, they kept adding complimentary pieces and betting on continuity.
Bickerstaff said he anticipates “a leap” from his team this year but didn’t specify what he meant by that. Altman said he’d prepared to answer a question about what constitutes success this season before dancing around it. Talk about tight needles: The Cavs want to keep Mitchell’s win-now potential while maintaining their slow-burn rebuild around Mobley and Garland. Their best sell might be a belief in the future, which is tough to peddle if Mitchell can’t envision a parade in the present .
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