Latest Donovan Mitchell rumors suggest looming crossroads for Cavaliers this offseason

With the Cleveland Cavaliers barely holding to home-court advantage in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, many fans wonder if Donovan Mitchell's time in The Land is running out.

According to Marc Stein via his Substack, the Cavs have been considering the same thing as they face the decision of trading him or risk losing him for nothing after the 2024-25 season.

“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.”

While Cavs majority owner Dan Gilbert is confident that the franchise will be able to keep Mitchell long-term, the results on the court suggest that this may not happen. The Cavs are struggling with a losing record of 6-9 in their last 15 games, hence why home-court advantage in the first round is in jeopardy for Cleveland.

While they could offer him a bit more next offseason, the Cavaliers can offer Mitchell a $200 million contract extension over the next four years. Despite the added money that they can offer, will the Cavs have to trade Mitchell if they have an early exit?

NBA Rumors: Cavs facing turning point, possible Donovan Mitchell trade

No one knows what is going on inside Mitchell's head when it comes to his next big contract decision. Even still, the All-Star doesn't have to settle for the first mega offer that he gets with him being only 27 years old. Unless the star opts for a deal spanning five years, the veteran likely has one more big contract owed to him before his value would begin declining.

Losing in the first round of the playoffs would be a disappointing result and would also lead to an awkward stand-off between the Cavs and Mitchell when it comes to extension talks in the forthcoming offseason.

In that possible situation, Mitchell likely would not be open to extending his contract which would force the Cavs to shop the star around. This, in turn, could make the star upset and create a much worse situation. With a tricky predicament coming ahead, the Cavs are a franchise that desperately needs a deep playoff run.