Donovan Mitchell's extension creates problems the Pistons can exploit

One of the Detroit Pistons’ Central Division rivals made a franchise-defining move today when the Cleveland Cavaliers signed star guard Donovan Mitchell to a monster four-year extension worth $273 million. 

Shams Charania broke the news, as the Cavaliers made their dedication to Mitchell explicit by extending him at nearly $70 million per season. 

It’s a move the Cavaliers probably had to make, as waiting until next offseason would have cost them an additional year, and you can’t blame them for wanting to reward their superstar and cement him as a fixture of the team after he led them to the conference finals. 

But it’s also a move that could eventually haunt the Cavaliers and potentially help the Pistons. 

Team building just got even more difficult for the Cavaliers 

One of the reasons the Cavs were able to outlast the Pistons in the playoffs last season was because of their superior depth. Their bench mostly dominated the Pistons’ reserves, but that depth has already taken a hit, and there may be more to come. 

The Cavs have already lost Keon Ellis and Dean Wade, and there has been widespread speculation that Dennis Schroder and Max Strus are next. These were all key roles players for the Cavs last season, but it’s hard to have these types of mid-level guys when the top of the payroll is so heavy. 

With Mitchell and Mobley set to make $100 million combined next season and rising, the Cavs’ roster is expensive before you even get to James Harden’s new deal. 

Things will get worse as Mitchell’s contract bloats to over $68 million on a player option when he’s nearly 34 years old. The Cavs will be desperate to add cheap talent to fill out their roster, and it will get more challenging with each passing season.

 It would help to get LeBron James on a minimum deal, but the Cavs are fully committed to a team that isn't getting any younger.

This is part of the reason why the new CBA is actually killing team building, as it’s hard for teams to keep their guys on max deals and put a competitive roster around them. 

Donovan Mitchell will be untradable soon 

We are seeing teams change their perspective quickly on max contracts, especially these supermax deals where the player is eating a huge portion of the payroll. 

We just saw Jaylen Brown get traded for peanuts, not because he’s not a good player, but because he’s not worth $60 million. Mitchell is arguably worth less already, as he’s not a two-way player and can be targeted in the playoffs, though he usually more than makes up for it with his offense. 

I doubt Mitchell’s defense improves, so this contract could look ugly by the end. It’s already one most teams wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot pole, so for better or worse, the Cavs are committed to Mitchell. 

That could prove to be problematic in a few years, especially if they don’t get over the hump and at least make it to the Finals. 

Will the Cavaliers make trades? 

These are more long-term problems for the Cavs, but in the short term, they may have to make additional trades. 

Max Strus is an interesting name, though he’s probably redundant with the additions the Pistons have already made. 

Jarrett Allen may eventually be on the move, which could give the Pistons a viable backup plan for Jalen Duren. 

The Cavaliers are very much symbolic of this tax era and how difficult it will be to keep a team together if you have more than one player on a max deal. It’s something that could benefit the Pistons, but it’s also something Detroit may face themselves as their roster gets more expensive around Cade Cunningham. 

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