In an offseason full of rampant speculation about Donovan Mitchell's future, the Cleveland Cavaliers have remained cool, calm, and collected. Although Mitchell has yet to sign an extension with the Cavs days into free agency, Cleveland President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman seems confident that a deal is on the horizon.
“We feel good about Donovan,” Altman said. “He’s in a great space mentally. He’s healthy. He was out there with those young high school players, hooping in a really good space. I really enjoyed the fact that he and Kenny could sit down and talk about the future of the team.
“He is still under contract right now, so I think we can talk about him as a Cavalier. He’s invested. He’s really invested in what we’re doing, and hopefully, soon, we’ll have more of a decisive answer on [a contract extension] for you,” Altman continued. “But he’s been great. He’s been super involved and super collaborative and very, very much pro-Cleveland.”
Although Mitchell hasn't signed an extension with the Cavs, he has been heavily involved with Cleveland's offseason, with sources telling ClutchPoints even speaking with new head coach Kenny Atkinson before he was hired.
So, perhaps Altman's feelings on Mitchell, despite not signing an extension, are valid—especially after Atkinson spoke with Mitchell face-to-face after becoming the Cavs' next head coach.
Kenny Atkinson helps Donovan Mitchell feel like a lock for the Cavs
Atkinson inherits a Cleveland team that has quickly grown from a 22-win squad four years ago to one of the Eastern Conference's best. The Cavs won 99 games and made the playoffs the past two seasons under former head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who was hired by Detroit on Sunday.
The rise is similar to the one Atkinson managed in Brooklyn from 2016-20 before his surprise firing with 20 games left in the season.
Atkinson made it clear he's a very different coach now after spending one season under Tyronn Lue with the Los Angeles Clippers and three under Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr – an experience he likened to “getting your doctorate in basketball.”
Along with designing offenses to keep pace with today's game, Atkinson said one of the biggest things he gleaned from Kerr was his uncanny ability to work with superstars like Steph Curry and Kevin Durant.
It's vital to have strong relationships with every player, especially the best ones.
“It's a partnership,” he said. “Ty was great at it. Steve was a master at it. When you're making big decisions, sure, you're the ultimate decision-maker. But you have talked that through with your best players.
“In my experience, they might say: ‘No, why don't we do this in the pick-and-roll? Why don't we do this?' So, really, it's a true partnership, and that means you better be a great listener when you do have those one-on-ones.”
Atkinson quickly put that practice to work this weekend as he, Altman, and other members of the organization visited Mitchell at the All-Star guard's “Spida Elite Camp” in Los Angeles, which is for the nation's best young guards.
“We had a great sit down,” Atkinson said about his meeting with Mitchell. “We also have a little bit of East Coast, similar backgrounds. We didn’t grow up far from each other really, if you think about it. Right off the bat, I felt a great connection. Talked about more personal stuff. Family, his family, my family. It was really a great get-to-know-you session.”
While it was mostly a get-to-know-you-better meeting for Atkinson, it was another chance for the Cavs to sell their vision to Mitchell, who can sign a multiyear contract extension this summer. The team remains optimistic that Mitchell will sign a deal that could be for up to four years and cost $200 million.
Atkinson knows it's his job to make that happen for them and to get the Cavs closer to a championship, with Mitchell leading the charge.
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