Donovan Mitchell signs massive $273M Cavaliers extension as LeBron James return speculation grows

Dan Dakich petitions for LeBron James to join the Indiana Pacers

Donovan Mitchell got quite a payday from the Cleveland Cavaliers Tuesday, agreeing to a four-year, $273 million maximum extension, which includes a full trade kicker and player option for the 2030-31 season.

While Mitchell could’ve waited one more year to get a potential five-year, $353 million deal, the 29-year-old wasted no time signing an extension on the first day he was eligible to do so this summer.

It’s hard for Cleveland not to want to build its team around Mitchell now and for the foreseeable future. He has been an All-Star seven straight seasons, which includes three with the Utah Jazz before he was traded to Cleveland during the 2022 offseason.

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Donovan Mitchell (45) of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks to pass the ball during a game against the Memphis Grizzlies Feb. 2, 2023, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. (David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)

He has averaged 26.7 points in four seasons with the Cavaliers, including 27.9 last season, and has made an All-NBA team in three of his four years.

Mitchell also noted having "unfinished business" after the team got swept by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals.

Mitchell was heading into the 2026-27 season on the last guaranteed season of his previous contract before a 2027 player option kicked in.

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Now, the bigger question for the Cavaliers: Does Mitchell’s contract extension hurt or help their chances of yet another reunion with LeBron James?

The 41-year-old has made it clear he will be playing elsewhere for the