‘Simple as That’ — Cavaliers Star Donovan Mitchell Makes Short but Sweet Free-Agency Pitch to LeBron James
The Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly among a handful of teams still chasing LeBron James, who has remained undecided on where to take his talents next.
Cavaliers star guard Donovan Mitchell is hoping that the 22-time All-Star will return to Cleveland for a storybook ending to his all-time great NBA career.
Donovan Mitchell Sends Clear Recruiting Message to LeBron James
Mitchell was at Citi Field on Wednesday for the marquee Queens Classic matchup between the NJ/NY Gotham FC and the Washington Spirit. The seven-time All-Star briefly responded when asked to make his pitch to James.
”I mean, it’s home. We’ve done it once, let’s do it again, simple as that,” Mitchell said.
James kept the suspense about his next team on Thursday when he told a packed crowd at the Javits Center in New York during the Fanatics Fest that he wasn’t ready yet to make an announcement. Still, he assured the fans that he wouldn’t keep them waiting for long.
Cleveland’s interest in adding the former Los Angeles Lakers star has long been known. NBA insider Shams Charania said about a week ago on Stephen A. Smith’s “Straight Shooter” podcast that the Cavaliers were “seriously” pursuing a reunion with the Akron, Ohio native.
Charania emphasized that to remove any doubts in James’ mind about their championship goals, Mitchell agreed to a four-year, $273 million contract extension when he could have waited for another year and gotten $80 million more.
His co-star James Harden also helped create salary-cap flexibility by declining his $42.3 million player option for the 2026-27 campaign. Cleveland’s offer to retain the former MVP will reportedly depend on James’ free-agency decision.
According to Charania, the Cavaliers are readying the small forward spot for James to take over. After losing Dean Wade in free agency, the 41-year-old can complete a starting lineup that will feature Mitchell and Harden in the backcourt and Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the paint.
Cleveland is reportedly competing against the Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, and the Minnesota Timberwolves for James’ signature. Each team reportedly believes it is in the running to land the NBA’s all-time scoring king.
However, the Cavaliers seem to have the upper hand if James wants a storybook ending. By returning to Cleveland, he would cap off an illustrious career that began in 2003 when he made the jump from high school to become the franchise’s cornerstone.
With Mitchell’s urging, James, an Ohio legend, could go back to his roots and lead the Cavaliers to another championship, a decade after he brought them their first and only Larry O’Brien Trophy to date.
