Donovan Mitchell Wants Cavaliers to Keep This Core Four Player

There’s been a ton of noise surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers over the last month after they fell to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals. 

The Cavs shockingly moved on from head coach J.B. Bickerstaff in May after they failed to get to the Eastern Conference Finals, which looked like a possibility based on how the team played in the regular season.

Cleveland’s ‘Core Four’ of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley have seen their names thrown around in trade rumors.

However, based on the latest reporting from Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports earlier this week, the Cavaliers will likely keep this group together. Some Cavaliers fans likely don’t want to hear that as this group didn’t play its best ball when it counted the most.

But as long as the Cavaliers have All-Star combo guard Donovan Mitchell, who is eligible to sign an extension this offseason, they will be viewed as a “contender” in the East. Speaking of Mitchell, the veteran guard reportedly has one request regarding his current team, which might play a part in him sticking around for the foreseeable future.

Cavaliers Rumors: Cleveland Unlikely to Trade Jarrett Allen if Mitchell Signs Extension

Longtime NBA reporter/insider Marc Stein reported over the weekend that the Cavs are unlikely to trade veteran center Jarrett Allen if Mitchell signs an extension this offseason. Cleveland can reportedly offer the 27-year-old Mitchell a four-year, max contract.

Stein adds Mitchell “is described as an Allen fan who doesn’t want to lose him as a teammate.”

If you are Cavaliers GM Koby Altman, you must consider Mitchell’s feelings when reconstructing the roster for next season. Even though the frontcourt fit of Allen and Evan Mobley isn’t great, it is hard to find big men like Allen, who just turned 26 years old and had one of his better years as a pro this season.

The 6-foot-11 center averaged a double-double consisting of 16.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in 31.7 minutes per game. Allen also dished out a career-high 2.7 assists per game.

With Allen and Mobley on the floor together, the Cavs are one of the better defensive teams in the league as they posted the sixth-best defensive rating in the Association (112.7) this season. Once the Cavs figure out who their next head coach will be, they can work on improving their roster for the 2024-25 season.

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