Getty Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler and Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz greet each other after a game.
The Miami Heat may have limited options for upgrading at the NBA trade deadline and, really, they’re right where they want to be in the East. However, the possibility of big moves and superstar signings in the future continues to be there.
Along those lines, a certain two-time All-Star and top-10 scorer in the Association may have a future in South Beach if his current situation ends up not working out.
Per a report from Heat insider Greg Sylvander, Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell is believed to have Miami as his preferred landing spot if he ever asks out of Utah, as indicated by league sources. Meanwhile, the New York Knicks — who are essentially his hometown team — are said to be a distant second on his wish list.
I believe this is well documented & relatively obvious but…
I can confirm that if Donovan Mitchell were to ever ask out of Utah, it’s believed Miami would be his first choice and New York a more distant second as preferred destinations according to a league source.
Mitchell is averaging 25.7 points, 5.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game this season for the Jazz, who currently sit in the No. 4 spot out West.
Mitchell’s Current Situation
As it stands, Mitchell is on lockdown through the 2024-25 campaign; he has a $37 million player option for the 2025-26 campaign. So, Heat fans clamoring for him to sign with the club as a free agent are in for a wait. The other option for acquiring Mitchell would be via trade, but the Jazz and the Heat may not make good trade partners.
If Mitchell asks out, players on the level of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and/or Tyler Herro would probably be the baseline of what Utah would want as compensation. However, barring some incredible, unforeseen development, the Heat aren’t moving Butler or Adebayo (and the latter would be a questionable fit next to Rudy Gobert).
Moreover, Miami may not have enough assets to pair with Herro in order to actually win a bidding war with other teams.
Still, it’s worth noting that Mitchell has a close relationship with Heat legend Dwyane Wade, who is now part-owner of the Jazz. Moreover, there have been rumblings that Mitchell may desire a bigger spotlight for himself and his talents.
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Market Size Matter?
During a recent episode of The Hoop Collective Podcast, ESPN’s Tim McMahon relayed that Mitchell could have a roving eye. “There is, I’m gonna say, at least speculation around the league that market size might matter to him,” he said on the show.
In response, Brian Windhorst made mention of the first All-Star voting results, which didn’t break in his favor.
“The first batch of All-Star voting came out — he’s having a great season and he’s on a team with one of the best records — he’s seventh among guards.”
Given the middling size of the Salt Lake City market and Mitchell’s potential both on the court and as a media entity, it stands to reason that he could benefit from playing in a bigger market. So, any speculation to that effect is reasonable.
As it stands, though, we’re dealing with a lot of ifs and buts.
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Heat a Top Destination for All-Star Guard If He Leaves Current Team: Insider