Donovan Mitchell: ‘We’re championship contenders when we’re healthy’

You told everyone you were re-signing with the Cavaliers and you felt that folks didn’t believe you. But during the offseason, you signed a three-year, $150.3 million maximum contract extension that includes a player option for the 2027-28 season. What did signing this extension mean to you? Donovan Mitchell: Until the pen hits the paper, obviously words don’t mean anything. But for me, man, once I got traded here, I didn’t even know what was here until I got here. Obviously, I knew who would be here on the team, but just the city of Cleveland, it’s really had a hold on me. I just really love the people. I love the passion, the fandom, the organization obviously, and obviously my teammates. And for me, we’ve continued to find success and continue to build and build and as I’ve always said, ‘You don’t just get ready and then just make the Finals or win a chip. It takes time. You got to continue to build and continue to grow.’ And that for me was my biggest thing is how do we find ways to continue to do that. And having an organization that believes in that, that isn’t just cool with just being status quo and just being OK and being good … And after losing to Boston last [season], yeah, we were injured and we had all these different ways we could look at excuses. The energy wasn’t that in the locker room. It was more like we’re coming back doing it again. And for me, it meant a lot just because that’s what I believe in myself. So being able to be with my guys and be on this team again and to the foreseeable future, I’m excited. We got a lot to prove and I got a lot to continue to go. -via Andscape / September 27, 2024