Cleveland Cavaliers superstar Donovan Mitchell is said to “embrace” the idea of playing with NBA legend LeBron James next year.
Michell reaffirmed his commitment to the Cavaliers and the city of Cleveland on Tuesday when he agreed to a four-year, $273 million maximum contract extension.
Now, he’s hoping that the team lands James as Mitchell looks to win his first NBA Championship this coming season.
Donovan Mitchell Wants to Play With LeBron James
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Mitchell has been involved in roster construction discussions with the Cavaliers’ front office this offseason, and he wants the team to sign James.
“It doesn’t hurt that a franchise cornerstone has committed, doubled down on his commitment to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Donovan Mitchell, I’m told, has been very active and a significant part of the conversations that Cavs officials have been having this summer on upgrading the roster. Yes, that includes the pursuit of LeBron James,” Charania said.
“I’m told behind the scenes that Mitchell has made it clear that he would embrace LeBron coming to the Cavaliers and joining him in Cleveland.
“LeBron is the first priority for the Cavaliers, and Donovan Mitchell is fully on board with that and upgrading the Cavs roster overall after they made a run to the Eastern Conference Finals.”
LeBron James Would Have to Take Veteran’s Minimum in Cleveland
Though some teams like the Golden State Warriors could offer James the full MLE, the Cavaliers are limited as to what they can offer the superstar financially, as they are limited to the veteran’s minimum.
That being said, James has made it clear that the only thing that he cares about is winning a fifth ring in his NBA career. Money is not the most important factor for him, so while it would be nice if he could get more, he would likely settle for the veteran’s minimum in Cleveland if he truly felt the team had the best chance to win an NBA title.
With so many teams pursuing James this offseason, he will get to choose where he wants to go. According to his agent, Rich Paul, nearly every team in the league, minus the Los Angeles Lakers, his old team, and two other, unnamed teams, have reached out to James’ camp about signing him for this coming season.
Despite being 41 years old, James is still one of the best players in the league, and NBA teams know that he gives them all a really good chance of winning the championship next season.
With James being an Ohio native and having played twice for the Cavaliers before, they seem to be the frontrunner right now as far as his next team goes. But nothing is set in stone yet, as James has indicated he will take his time to make a decision about his future, as he won’t rush into a decision.
But right now, it does feel like James is leaning towards playing in the NBA again next season, and the Cavaliers seem to be at the top of his list.
Donovan Mitchell Would ‘Embrace’ Playing With LeBron James