Mitchell was linked to the Heat during the 2022 offseason before ultimately being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now 27 years old, Mitchell has a decision to make about his future. He has one year left on his current contract plus a player option that he will likely decline in order to lock in a much higher salary on a new deal. Given that he has just one guaranteed season left, he holds a significant amount of leverage in determining where he will be playing next season.
The Why:
If you believe the reporting coming out of Cleveland, it would appear that the team is confident they’ll be able to lock Mitchell into an extension in the coming months. The question one would have to ask, though, is what caliber of team would Mitchell be returning to should he sign his new contract? Within the same reports about his potential extension are rumors that the Cavaliers may look to trade away point guard Darius Garland (due to being a poor fit alongside Mitchell) and center Jarrett Allen (with eyes toward preserving cap room for power forward Evan Mobley’s eventual extension).
Could a core of Mitchell and Mobley be enough to feel confident about the Cavaliers’ chances of duplicating – or even exceeding – this season’s success in the future? Is that team worth Mitchell committing to for the remainder of his prime?
We haven’t heard a ton out of Mitchell’s camp as of yet, but if he shows any signs of discontent, the Cavs would be wise to move him and get what they can via trade. Cleveland could hold off until the trade deadline in hopes of changing Mitchell’s mind, but they would risk ending up with pennies on the dollar in terms of return value at that point. Should he become disgruntled or request a trade, it would make little sense for Cleveland to hold onto him beyond the trade deadline because Mitchell could walk next offseason, leaving the team nothing in return for the investment they made two years ago.
The How:
There was an earlier report that Cleveland’s front office likes the Heat’s Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr., and those two contracts alone would be enough to match the incoming salary of Mitchell. Herro could slide right into the Cavaliers’ starting lineup and replace a majority of the offensive production that Mitchell provided – and at a discounted salary. That, along with a promising young player like Jaquez and a couple of draft picks, could give the Cavs enough value in return to feel comfortable pulling the trigger on a deal.
Simplest potential trade package:
Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., 2024 first round pick, 2029 first round pick
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