NBA Rumors: Donovan Mitchell refuses to commit to Cleveland Cavaliers as whispers continue to grow about his future.
One of the reasons why the Cleveland Cavaliers were able to stay afloat in the Eastern Conference even after being decimated by injuries throughout the season is the continued play of excellence by Donovan Mitchell. The big move for Mitchell two offseasons continues to pay off for the Cavs as they prepare for what could end up being a deep playoff run. If they can remain healthy heading into the postseason, there's no reason why Cleveland can't keep pace with any other team in the East.
From a pure talent perspective, the Cavs can seemly match up with any other team in the East. The big question for this team heading into the playoffs is whether they have enough experience and whether they're willing to rise to the occasion that is the biggest platform that the NBA has to offer.
After falling on their faces in last year's first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks, the hope is that this season will go a lot differently. If it does, Mitchell will likely be one of the bigger reasons why. Mitchell has emerged as the most important part of the Cavs' current core. However, with just one year remaining on this contract after this season, it's almost impossible not to start thinking about what his future may or may not be with the team.
When given the opportunity to quiet the noise down and commit to the Cavs, Mitchell, once again, refused to do so. Instead, his recent response regarding his future is only going to raise more eyebrows.
"“So, I’ll handle that when it comes, and I understand you gotta ask that question and I’ll give you the same answer.”"Donovan Mitchell on his future
Predicting what Donovan Mitchell will do
At this point, it's almost impossible to predict what Mitchell will do this offseason. From all the recent reporting, you'd come to believe that Mitchell is going to avoid signing an extension with the Cavs this summer to make way for him to become a free agent for the first time in his career.
Still, with how well these first two years in Cleveland have gone, it also wouldn't be surprising if Mitchell did a 180 and ended up signing an extension with the team this offseason. Especially considering how confident Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is about it.
Either way, all eyes will be on Mitchell and the Cavs this offseason. He could end up being the focus of this year's NBA offseason.