Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Donovan Mitchell has signed a four-year contract worth $273 million extension, which is a record deal for the franchise. This comes as the guard defends his teammate, Evan Mobley, from criticism raised by the former NBA All-Star, Tracy McGrady.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“I felt like you have a player on your team. I was advocating for this guy before the season even started because I saw tremendous growth in him, and that’s Evan Mobley,” Tracy McGrady said on the Cousins with Vince Carter & Tracy McGrady podcast. “He had, I would say, an off year compared to his previous year.”
Mitchell responded directly to that criticism. “I think the biggest thing we lose sight of, too, is that Evan Mobley has been a part of winning since he got to the league, I have no doubt that Evan Mobley is going to take the jump that people have been waiting for. We get real impatient as a league and as people.”
McGrady’s criticism focuses on the contrast between Mobley’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2024-25 and the subsequent year, where his points per game dropped to 18.2 after being sidelined by two separate left calf injuries that caused him to miss 12 games.
However, Mitchell’s arguments support the facts that have emerged after Mobley’s recovery. In the playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers forward Mobley averaged 17.0 points and 8.1 rebounds, scoring 33.8 percent from three. His performance has helped the franchise reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1992 without LeBron James.
That playoff breakout occurred despite having an incredibly tough season. Mobley had suffered two injuries to his left calf, one that happened in December and then another that happened later on in January against the Orlando Magic, and was sidelined for 12 games while Kenny Atkinson was trying out the idea of having Mobley be a point forward.
With Harden, Mitchell, Mobley, and Jarrett Allen being the Cleveland lineup core going into the season, Mitchell’s belief in Mobley has some value as far as how the team is being put together.
This belief in Mobley was not the only one that Mitchell wanted to share. Mitchell also made some comments regarding his game going into the season.
Mitchell Hints Major Change Ahead of Cavaliers Season
“The one thing I do want to add, I won’t say. I want that to kind of be the surprise,” Mitchell said. “But I think there was something that I noticed offensively that can really help me, especially in those moments when you are tired.”
“I’m not old, but I’m not young, you know what I mean? So being able to preserve yourself and kind of work on those different things, and seeking people out to try to help with that, I think has been big time,” Mitchell added.
Mitchell is coming into the new season after putting up averages of 27.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game last season; this has made him worthy of the four-year, $273 million deal that Cleveland has just signed him to, to the tune of $68.3 million per season.
Now that Mobley is poised to make his much-anticipated jump and Harden will be having his first season in Cleveland, the Cavaliers have their first game against the Philadelphia 76ers’ star LeBron James, an ideal platform for Mitchell to showcase what he has in store.