Draymond Green Defends Donovan Mitchell's $273M Contract: 'The System May Be Broken'

Draymond Green blasts everyone who is criticizing Donovan Mitchell's $273M contract: "The system may be broken"

Donovan Mitchell signed a four-year, $273 million maximum extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers, keeping the seven-time All-Star in Ohio through at least 2029-30. However, the deal has been met by plenty of criticism.

What happened?

The backlash surrounding Donovan reflects something deeper than just the size of his extension. After averaging 27.9 points per game during the 2025-26 regular season, expectations around him have never been higher.

Why it matters for Donovan Mitchell

Draymond Green, though, believes Mitchell is being unfairly blamed, and the real issues lie with the NBA's collective bargaining agreement. "The same reason Donovan Mitchell gets his $273 million is also the same reason Austin Reaves gets the $230 or whatever he got," Green said on his podcast. "It's because of the collective bargaining system."

Since arriving in Cleveland in 2022, Mitchell has averaged 26.7 points per game while earning an All-Star selection in every season. Moreover, he has also earned three All-NBA Team nods and finished among the top eight MVP frontrunners in three of those four seasons. So, regardless of the Cavaliers' shortcomings in the postseason, Donovan has dedicatedly built the team's offensive identity.

What comes next?

Now, according to Green, contracts like Mitchell's are not determined by whether fans believe a player is "worth" that amount of money in basketball terms. Instead, the CBA established maximum salary tiers on factors such as years of service, All-NBA selections, and other accolades. In other words, Donovan qualified for the designated maximum extension because he met the criteria outlined in the CBA.

More importantly, Draymond stressed how the same criteria even work in reverse. There are elite players in the league who fans believe deserve larger contracts, but cannot receive them because they fail to qualify for the required salary tier under the current rules. So, the CBA rewards specific milestones and experience rather than relying solely on a player's overall impact and current place in the hierarchy.

And that is what Green educated those who have unapologetically criticized Mitchell for earning a generational fortune. "For a lot of guys, everybody say, 'Oh man, why this guy can't get paid?' Because he don't quite slide in that slot and there's no team giving him that. Well, guess what? Then there's another slot. Austin Reaves benefits from collective bargaining," Green added. "But that's the system that we're under. So if we're going to come out and complain about Donovan Mitchell's contract, address the collective bargaining system. The system may be broken."

Still, the next step is translating that production into postseason success.