Cleveland locks in Donovan Mitchell with 4-year max extension

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Donovan Mitchell just secured the bag.

Despite the roller-coaster ride in his first four seasons, the Cleveland Cavaliers affirmed their trust in Mitchell after signing him to a four-year, USD 273 million maximum contract extension announced on July 7, 2026.

According to ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania, the four-year max extension includes a player option for the 2030-31 season, allowing him to enter free agency in the last year of the deal.

Mitchell’s base salary will begin at USD 50,105,628 in the 2026-27 season and later reach its peak in his player-option year at USD 75,530,756.

The 29-year-old star is in the same scenario as Denver’s Nikola Jokic, who was also eligible to sign a contract extension this summer, but the Serbian opted to skip this year’s chance and wait for the 2027-28 season for a possible five-year deal.

Mitchell and the Cavaliers are fresh off an Eastern Conference Finals berth but experienced a harsh reality check after getting swept by the eventual NBA champions, the New York Knicks.

Despite the bitter ending, Cleveland reiterated that its run was still a franchise success, as the team returned to the Eastern Conference Finals after an eight-year drought.

Since joining the Cavaliers in 2022, Mitchell has established himself as the team’s franchise player, leading the squad to the NBA playoffs every year.

With Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, the team has become a legitimate playoff contender under Mitchell’s leadership.

In 70 games during the 2025-26 NBA regular season, Mitchell averaged 27.9 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Meanwhile, Mitchell tallied 26.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 18 postseason games. During that campaign, the star guard tied an NBA playoff record by scoring 39 points in a single half against the Detroit Pistons.