Donovan Mitchell Takes On Leadership Role In NBPA

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell is now part of the NBA Player’s Association leadership team.

As announced on Saturday, Mitchell, along with Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson, was elected as a vice president of the NBPA. They fill slots left open by Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving and Golden State Warriors wing Andre Iguodala, whose three-year terms was vacated; and Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams, who was elected as first vice president. New Orleans Pelicans guard C.J. McCollum is the current NBPA president.

“It’s very humbling to be elected by my peers as a Vice President,” Mitchell said per the release announcing the moves. “I wanted to take on this leadership role within the union to pave the way for the next generation of players and help current and future players better understand all aspects of our business, on and off the court. This is an exciting new chapter for me to grow as a leader and work to move this union forward.”

“We are thrilled to have Grant in this elevated position, and we welcome Jaren and Donovan to the Executive Committee,” McCollum said per the release. “Their experience and ability to connect with the younger players in our league will be imperative as we move forward as a union. I also want to take a moment to thank Andre and Kyrie for their service. Kyrie’s insights have been invaluable since he joined us in 2020, and Andre has been been a key leader for us for more than a decade. Their leadership will be missed but we know they will stay close and continue to support us as we work for the best interests of the brotherhood.”

Mitchell steps into this leadership role at an interesting time for the union. There are ongoing discussions between the union and the league abore a new CBA. During negotiations, both sides have pushed back the opt out date to give more time to negotiate.

According to The Athletic, NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio said on Saturday that the two sides have exchanged “hundreds” on proposals. Key negotiation points include possible salary cap smoothing ahead of the 2025 when a new media rights deal kicks in; the proposed in-season tournament; once again allowing players to go straight from high school to the NBA; and the possibility of tying awards to the amount of games played.

On Saturday, per ESPN, both Tremaglio and NBA commissioner Adam Silver said they hope to get a deal done.

“We are very motivated to get this done,” Tremaglio said. “Our players are very competitive, and we want to see [this to] completion as well. So, it is absolutely a priority for us.”

“I would just say it’s an absolute priority for us as well to get a deal done as soon as possible,” Silver said. He also, per ESPN, said he hopes a deal is completed before the next opt-out deadline on March 31.

In addition to Mitchell, the Cavs have wing Dylan Windler as the team’s player representative.