[Katz] If Donovan Mitchell signs an extension, the Cavs can move forward with him at their core. If he doesn’t, the organization will discuss the possibility of moving him, league sources said.
Harden has a $42 million player option for next season that he’s likely to decline, a league source said. But a longer-term deal at a lesser number still would not be cheap. With today’s rules, with the way high payrolls chip away at resources and wallets, teams can’t stay so expensive while continuing to lose in the second round.
Cleveland is expensive, the only team to cross the second-apron payroll threshold this season and in danger of doing the same in 2026-27 — unless it edits its roster on the margins.
Or maybe in the center of it.