Assuming he lands on the NBA trade market this summer—and the chances are good that he will—Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell figures to attract a heavy level of attention. He is coming off a season in which he averaged 26.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists, on 46.2% shooting, and has been an All-Star five years running. That will have the attention of the Miami Heat.
Miami was eliminated form playoff contention on Wednesday by the Celtics in the first round, a year after a magical run to the NBA Finals.
But Mitchell has never been entirely content in Cleveland—remember, before the Cavs traded for him in the summer of 2022, there was a presumption that Mitchell was headed to New York. He wanted a big market, and though the team in Cleveland is talented, the Cavs were always going to have to convince him to stay with the team before he could opt out of the final year of his five-year, $163 million contract.
That comes in the summer of 2025. Thus, if the Cavs are sure they can’t keep Mitchell on an extension, they need to move him this summer.
Again, expect the Miami Heat, who figure to be hunting for a star in the offseason, to take notice.
Miami Heat Deals Sends Out Tyler Herro, Nikola Jovic
Over at Bleacher Report, with the Heat now bounced from the NBA playoffs, Mitchell is tabbed as the top potential target for Miami to consider this summer in an article titled, “Ranking Heat’s Top Trade Targets After 2024 NBA Playoff Loss.”
We don’t know yet who, exactly, will hit the trade market, but there’s no doubt the Mitchell-Heat pairing makes sense, and there’s good reason he’s ranked No. 1 on the list.
A proposed deal like this could work, depending on whether the Heat can maneuver themselves out of the NBA’s second-apron luxury tax territory.
Heat receive: Donovan Mitchell
Cavaliers receive: Tyler Herro, Nikola Jovic, 2024 1st-round pick, 2030 1st-round pick
Here’s what analyst Zach Buckley wrote: “(Mitchell) is the high-end shot-creator this roster so desperately needs, shares a close bond with Heat legend Dwyane Wade and is tight with Adebayo, too.
“Mitchell … would be the kind of difference-maker that could convince Miami to empty its asset collection for him. It might take multiple picks, Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and more to get Mitchell, but it’s hard to think of a realistically available player who would give the Heat a better chance to contend during whatever remains of Jimmy Butler’s prime.”
It helps that Mitchell is friendly with Wade and Adebayo, but that won’t weigh much on the Heat’s decision to pursue him. What matters is that Mitchell would be a good fit with Butler, as a player who can handle point-guard duties when needed and has a certain level of grit and toughness.
Erik Spoelstra Is a Donovan Mitchell Fan
The biggest point in favor of a Mitchell-Miami Heat pairing, though, is that coach Erik Spoelstra respects Mitchell’s approach and professionalism. It might help matters that Mitchell could be on the 2024 Team USA Olympic entry, for which Spoelstra will be an assistant coach.
The question for team president Pat Riley and the Heat, though, is what to give up for Mitchell. The team was notably stubborn in its pursuit of Damian Lillard from the Trail Blazers last year, and if they take the same approach with Mitchell this year, they could miss out.
The situations are different. Mitchell is six years younger than Lillard, and would give the Miami Heat a foundation, with Adebayo, to build on after Butler moves on. The Heat value Herro, maybe more than most other organizations, but would have to part with him for Mitchell. The team has done well to develop Jovic, who may be a future star, but again, they’ll need to give up young assets for a player in his prime like Mitchell.
Expect a lot of Mitchell chatter in the coming weeks. And expect the Miami Heat to continue being in the center of it.
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