The Miami Heat’s president declares the potential trade of two players and a $163 million, four-time All Star could be traded before deadline
Donovan Mitchell, the guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers, is the most intriguing player to be mentioned as a potential trade acquisition for the Miami Heat.
According to NBA insider Brian Windhorst, “at least two other teams” and the Heat could become trade partners on the December 18 episode of Brian Windhorst & The Hoops Collective podcast.
In the event that the four-time All-Star became available through a trade, the Heat were also mentioned by ESPN’s Kevin Pelton as potential suitors.
As of right now, Mitchell is without a doubt the biggest player available for trade, which would heighten the competition amongst teams hoping to sign or extend him. Pelton wrote on December 19 that the Nets, Knicks, and Heat in particular fit that group.
But would the Cavs be open to trading the second-team All-NBA pick
Two of the Cavaliers’ main starters, Evan Mobley and Darius Garland, have been sidelined with injuries that will likely keep them out for longer than a month. With a broken jaw, Garland is expected to miss at least a month of play, and Mobley’s recovery from knee surgery could keep him out for as long as six to eight weeks.
At the time of publication, both the Heat and the Cavaliers were 15-12. Trading Mitchell is unlikely if Cleveland can continue to find ways to win even without Garland and Mobley. A trade is much more likely, though, if the Cavaliers find that their season is unraveling without them.
It is understandable why Miami is being mentioned as one of the top suitors. Mitchell’s five-year, $163 million contract is up in three years. His base pay for this season is $32.6 million, and his base salary for 2024–2025 is slightly under $35 million. The following year, he will have a player option.
Given Mitchell’s star-studded salary of $33.2 million, it’s unlikely that another team will have to juggle several contracts to match. With Evan Fournier’s $18.9 million salary, Miami has Tyler Herro ($27 million) and Kyle Lowry ($29.7 million) in that range; Brooklyn could use Spencer Dinwiddie ($20.4 million) or Ben Simmons ($37.9 million) as the focal point. Pelton continued,
Given that Fournier’s contract is effectively expiring due to his $19 million base salary for 2024–25 being a team option, and Dinwiddie and Lowry having expiring contracts, it might be easier to trade with these teams at this time, depending on the construction.
According to The Athletic, Mitchell had the Heat listed as one of his top three preferred destinations before being traded to Cleveland in September of 2022. Miami would probably still be a preferred landing spot if Cleveland were to consider offers from other teams, but that is still a big if.
Mitchell was last seen up close by Miami on December 8 during the Heat’s game against the Cavaliers. With 27 points, Mitchell led all scorers in that contest. In a 111-99 Cleveland win, he also recorded game-highs in rebounds (13) and assists (6).
Although it’s all talk right now, it will be interesting to keep an eye on the Caves and Mitchell in the upcoming months.
