Explore More

Don’t expect the Cavaliers to trade Donovan Mitchell this season despite murmurs that the Heat are very interested in the star guard. 

The Cavs are “planning to ride out this season” with Mitchell, league sources indicated to The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie.

Trade rumors are sure to pick up with the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline quickly approaching, but for now, it doesn’t seem like Mitchell will be among the potential names that could be dealt between now and then. 

NBA insider Marc Stein reported last week that Miami has a “bona fide interest” in trying to trade for Mitchell, despite the fact Cleveland doesn’t seem to be too inclined to try and move him. 

All of this comes ahead of this summer when Mitchell will be eligible to sign a max contract extension for more than $50 million a year, but it isn’t clear if he wants to sign such a deal with the Cavs. 

Depending on where Mitchell stands, that could change Cleveland’s strategy regarding their thinking on a potential trade involving the star. 

For now, it would make little sense for them to explore that idea while sitting in fourth in the Eastern Conference entering Monday’s slate of games and Mitchell clearly being their best player. 

Mitchell has averaged 27.9 points, 5.7 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game this season.  

The NBA star arrived in Cleveland in Sept. 2022 after a blockbuster trade with the Jazz.

He helped lead the Cavaliers to the postseason in his first season there with a 51-31 record, but they were dispatched in the first round by the Knicks. 

Any potential playoff run for Cleveland could impact Mitchell’s thinking going into the summer when he’d be able to sign the max extension.

It’s not a secret that the Knicks were Mitchell’s preferred choice when it came to where he hoped to have ended up when he was traded.

And if Cleveland has another short run in the postseason it could make things a bit interesting this summer.

ncG1vNJzZmimqaW8tMCNnKamZ2Jlf3V7j2pmam1fqL2wvtOsZpyZppa5qrHRrGStp12ntqWxjKisrWWjmq60u81mrqKsmGKxsLrOr5inZZ2ewaS0xKWjZpmWqbKzedOrmJ2dXafCrq7LoqWgq18%3D