Donovan Mitchell: “I don’t ever want to wear another uniform” and dreams of a number 45 banner in Cleveland

When Donovan Mitchell was traded to Cleveland in 2022, there was widespread skepticism that he would commit to the Cavaliers long-term. He has since signed two contract extensions, and he told Chris Fedor ahead of the 2026-27 season that he cannot picture himself playing anywhere else.

“I don’t ever want to wear another uniform. I don’t have that vision,” Mitchell said. “Business is business. I understand how that works. There may be a situation where we may not be in a position to win anymore and business happens, right? … But the purpose behind this (latest) extension is to be here forever. … I’ve got to deliver. We’ve got to deliver. I’m not saying an extension guarantees a championship. But that’s the goal. It’s why I wake up every morning. I don’t want to be anywhere else. I don’t see it. Can’t ever picture it. I dream of myself being here forever and hopefully having 45 in the rafters one day.”

Mitchell signed a three-year, maximum-salary extension in July 2024 and finalized a new deal this July on the first day he was eligible. That came after the Cavaliers were swept in the Eastern Conference finals by the eventual champion Knicks. The new extension is a four-year max deal that runs through at least 2029-30, with a player option for 2030-31. He will be in his age-35 season in the fall of 2031.

He and his wife have grown to love Cleveland, he told Fedor, and he hopes to finish his career with the Cavaliers. “One thing I felt when I first got here was home,” Mitchell said.