RUMOR: Rival Teams Expect Cleveland Cavaliers Will Be ‘Forced to Trade’ Donovan Mitchell Amid Contract Dispute

According to the latest substack of league insider Marc Stein, several teams in the NBA have been monitoring Mitchell’s current situation in Cleveland. The 6-foot-3 guard is locked up with the Cavs through 2026, but he does have a player option in the final year of his current deal. This only means that he could choose to walk away from Cleveland as a free agent next summer.

That is unless the Cavs are able to secure him to a new deal this offseason. Opposing teams do not believe that there is any guarantee that contract negotiations between Mitchell and the front office will be fruitful, which could force Cleveland to cash in on him in the summer as opposed to losing him for nothing next year:

“Mitchell will be entering the final guaranteed year of his current contract next season if there’s no extension, leading to a growing belief among rival teams that the Cavaliers will be forced to trade Mitchell in coming months if they cannot come to terms with him an extension,” Stein reported.

That’s huge. For Cleveland, parting ways with their cornerstone superstar would have a massive effect on their plans for the future. However, it would be much worse if he walked away for nothing in 2025. That, of course, would be the worst-case scenario for the Cavs.