Donovan Mitchell signs massive $273M Cavaliers extension as LeBron James return speculation grows

Donovan Mitchell got quite the payday from the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, as he agreed to a four-year, $273 million maximum extension, which includes a full trade kicker and player option for the 2030-31 season.While Mitchell could’ve waited one more year to get a potential five-year, $353 million deal, the 29-year-old wasted no time signing an extension on the first day he was eligible to do so this summer.It’s hard for Cleveland not to want to build their team around Mitchell now and for the foreseeable future.

He has been an All-Star seven straight seasons, which includes three with the Utah Jazz prior to his trade to Cleveland during the 2022 offseason.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMHe has averaged 26.

7 points across four seasons with the Cavaliers, including 27.9 this past season, and has made an All-NBA team in three of his four years.Mitchell also noted having "unfinished business" after the team got swept by the future NBA-champion New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Mitchell was heading into the 2026-27 season on the last guaranteed season of his previous contract before a 2027 player option kicked in.CAVS NEED LEBRON JAMES 'TO RETURN HOME TO SAVE THE DAY,' ESPN STAR STEPHEN A SMITH SAYSNow, the bigger question for the Cavaliers: Does Mitchell’s contract extension hurt, or help, their chances of yet another reunion with LeBron James?The 41-year-old has made it clear he will be playing elsewhere for the 2026-27 NBA season, marking the end of his eight years with the Los Angeles Lakers.

James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, hasn’t indicated where he might be heading, but reports have indicated his agent, Rich Paul, is actively looking at specific teams.Among them is the Cavaliers, as the man from Akron, Ohio has played a significant role in the franchise’s history, including an NBA title in 2016. If this is James' final NBA run, why not do it where it all began, where he returned after his successful stint with the Miam