Donovan Mitchell Rumors: Cavs Optimistic Spida Signs Contract After Bickerstaff Fired

What figures to be a pivotal offseason for the Cleveland Cavaliers fully kicked into gear Thursday with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reporting J.B. Bickerstaff is out as head coach.

Now the focus shifts to the future of star guard Donovan Mitchell, who's eligible to be a free agent after the 2024-25 season. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported on FanDuel TV's Run It Back the Cavs are optimistic they can retain the five-time All-Star:

Firing Bickerstaff wasn't done specifically to appease Mitchell because there were broader questions to raise about his continued suitability for the role. But the front office might have felt a coaching change will further entice the 27-year-old to sign a long-term extension.

In their postmortem for the Cavaliers, The Athletic's Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd reported that Mitchell among some others "did not have great confidence in Bickerstaff," and his usage by the coach was a point of contention as well.

Where Cleveland goes with its coaching search could be another indicator as to whether the organization really believes Mitchell wants to stick around.

Him re-signing would create its own domino effect since The Athletic report indicated Darius Garland's agent, Rich Paul, could speak with the Cavaliers about a potential trade. The Mitchell/Garland backcourt combo hasn't meshed as some expected, so choosing one over the other is logical.

Garland should have some real trade value as well. Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer reported at the 41:28 mark on No Cap Room on May 16 that "a lot of teams will have [Garland] ranked above Trae Young on their board of wish lists."

Recounting a conversation he had with Mitchell, Wojnarowski reported last week on NBA Countdown the player was "happy in Cleveland" and has "been happy since" his move to Northeast Ohio.

With Bickerstaff gone, Mitchell could find life in Cleveland even more amenable.