Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers agreed to a four-year, max contract extension worth $273 million, Yankee Score reports.
The contract also includes a player option for 2030-31 worth nearly $76 million and a full trade kicker that would guarantee a bonus payout for Mitchell if he ever is traded
Mitchell signed on the very first day he was eligible for the extension, per ESPN, instead of waiting until next summer when he could have landed a five-year deal worth well over $350 million.
Breaking: Donovan Mitchell has agreed on a four-year, $273 million maximum contract extension that includes a player option for the 2030-31 season and a full trade kicker, CAA’s Co-Head of Basketball, tells @ShamsCharania. pic.twitter.com/VLIXVHrkU1
— ESPN (@espn) July 7, 2026
The reason he signed now
The move locks Mitchell in for the long haul with the only franchise he has played for since being traded from Utah in 2022.
He made his intentions clear back in May, after Cleveland was swept by the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals, saying he had unfinished business with the Cavaliers and no doubt they could get where they’re trying to go.
Signing early also clears the path for the franchise to pursue other business this offseason without a contract situation hanging over the roster.
Historic Money
The extension’s average annual value sits just above $68 million, briefly making it the highest average salary in NBA history before accounting for other deals still to come.
In total value, it slots in behind the contracts held by Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Nikola Jokic.
What It Means for Cleveland
Mitchell, a seven-time All-Star, averaged 27.9 points a game last season and helped push the Cavaliers to their first conference finals appearance since 2018.
With his future now settled, attention turns to the rest of Cleveland’s roster moves, including ongoing talks with James Harden and the team’s reported interest in LeBron James this offseason.
