2024 NBA playoffs takeaways: Cleveland’s summer of change begins with Mitchell decision

Things happen fast in the NBA playoffs, so to help you stay on top of everything from now until at least the end of the second round, we’ll have nightly results from the postseason action.

Cleveland’s summer of change begins with Mitchell decision

Just a few minutes from Cavaliers’ season ends on the parquet in Bostonthe simmering rumors about Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s future have begun to simmer. “Bickerstaff’s job is seriously under threat,” wrote Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd in The Athletic. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski struck a softer tone but said “the Cavaliers plan to take time to evaluate head coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s future.” If Bickerstaff is out, who is Cleveland bringing in that would be better?

Bickerstaff’s job is undoubtedly in jeopardy, but that’s not the biggest question facing the Cavaliers this summer. The answer to another question is the fork in the road that will decide the Cavaliers’ path in the coming years.

What does Donovan Mitchell want?

The Cavaliers will put a four-year, $208.5 million contract extension on the table in front of Mitchell this summer. As an organization, they did everything they could to get him signed. (Mitchell has a guaranteed final year on his contract next season worth $35.4 million, after which he can be a free agent.)

Whether he signs or not is a fork in the road.

Mitchell played his poker hand perfectly. He has been positive about the Cavaliers and has never said anything to suggest he was unhappy in Cleveland. He also never said he would commit to the team long-term. Within the organization, there is confidence that he will sign the extension.

Let’s learn what Mitchell prioritizes in his decision. Is Mitchell’s main priority to get as much money as possible? Is being at home in your native New York or another major market the most important thing? How happy is he in Cleveland and with the organization? Mitchell became increasingly frustrated with his teammates’ lack of maturity and focus, Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor reports.

If he signs the deal, the Cavaliers will be on a path that will likely see the departure of Bickerstaff and potentially Mitchell’s backcourt mate Darius Garland on the trading block. The Mitchell/Garland backcourt was never a natural fit and Garland’s numbers were down this season. If Mitchell re-signs, Garland’s agent (Rich Paul of Klutch Sports) is expected to talk to the Cavaliers about finding a new home for the guard. reports Atlético. If Mitchell stays, this will be a winning team built around him, with a lineup that needs to be modified to maximize its chances.

If Mitchell doesn’t sign an extension, the Cavaliers need to at least explore trading him – the Lakers and Nets are among several teams that would be interested. Cleveland will demand a large trade package for him, and offers could involve multiple picks and players that begin a roster overhaul. Cleveland doesn’t have to accept a deal it doesn’t like, it could bring Mitchell back and make a trade at the deadline, or not and challenge him to leave for a team with cap space (although Brooklyn in his homeland, New York will have maximum limit in summer 2026).

If Mitchell doesn’t sign, Cleveland will likely keep Garland and bank on him and Evan Mobley as the team’s future core.

Which brings us to the frontcourt of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. The Cavaliers this season had a net rating of +0.3 when Allen and Mobley shared the floor, but it improved to +1.5 when Mobley was on the court without Allen, and it was +5.6 when Allen was without Mobley.

While there is other noise in these statistics, it has become clear throughout the season that the Cavaliers are better with just one of them on the court. That means Allen could be on his way out, as Mobley is just 22 years old, looks like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate when healthy and has shown an improved offense — he scored the 33 he scored against Boston on Wednesday. There would be a huge trade market for Allen.

Change is coming to Cleveland this summer. Maybe too much of it. But it all depends on this question:

What does Donovan Mitchell want?

We’re all here for Al Horford

Boston got a double-digit win in a close game and you can interpret that as you want. You can argue that Boston is an elite team that did what it had to do and shut down an aggressive Cavaliers team, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals with an 8-2 record and a +12.8 net rating, with just one of those eight wins being by single digits. Or you could argue that Boston is a talented team that doesn’t play with the urgency of a champion, but they didn’t need to because they have enough talent to dominate a team like the shorthanded Cavaliers.

Regardless of how you view the Celtics, it was great to see Al Horford, at age 37, be the team’s energy catalyst. He excited the crowd with fast-paced first-half play en route to 22 points, including six 3-pointers, 15 rebounds on the night, and solid defense.

Horford will likely return to the bench at some point in the upcoming series (which begins Sunday or Tuesday, depending on whether the Knicks and Pacers go to Game 7) with the return of Kristaps Porzingis. Horford will thrive in this role.

But on Wednesday night it was a joy to see him not just as a starter, but as a key part of this squad, as the veteran who changed the game.