Coveted All-Star has ‘Packed His Bags’ for South Beach Amid Trade Rumors

Getty Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz in action against Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets

The NBA free agency period is seemingly waiting for the shoe to drop with what happens with the Brooklyn Nets and Kevin Durant. The Miami Heat are one of the teams that have been widely reported at being in on the Durant sweepstakes. However, the Heat may not be able to pull something off, especially if you factor in that Bam Adebayo couldn’t be part of any Nets deal without Ben Simmons. If they can’t pull off a Durant trade, expect the Heat to further their Donovan Mitchell pursuit. 

On July 1, the Utah Jazz pulled off a trade to send Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a haul of picks and Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, Jarret Vanderbilt, and picks Walker Kessler and Leandro Bolmaro. With the Jazz accomplishing the much-needed split of Mitchell and Gobert, signs would point suggest that Mitchell would be staying in Utah, right? Not exactly. 

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst commented saying, “Talking to league executives who saw some of this coming, they think it would be abnormal for Donovan [Mitchell] to not want out at this point. There are teams out there who are now revving up the possibility of calling Utah.”

This is where the door opens back up for the Heat to go after Donovan Mitchell. 

All Signs in Utah Point to a Danny Ainge Rebuild

Donovan Mitchell has been a part of so much change in Utah. Gobert is now gone. Quin Snyder is gone. They have switched to new and totally abysmal jerseys. There is a new owner, Danny Ainge became the team’s governor so much. Now he is alone with a cloud of uncertainty. Why would he want to stick around? 

“Now, we are seeing the writing on the wall that at the very least, Danny Ainge wants to rebuild in Utah,” Logan Murdock said on a July 2 episode of The Ringer NBA Show. “But everything suggests that the writing is on the wall for Donovan Mitchell to leave.” 

Where does Murdock think Mitchell will land? He mentioned the Heat or possibly even the Phoenix Suns. 

“I don’t know if the bags are packed, but we’re (Mitchell) looking at spots in some beachside homes somewhere in Florida.” Murdock continued. 

Mitchell in Miami?

It has been widely reported that Mitchell has an interest in the Miami Heat. Some of that news came from rapper Fat Joe. 

“In an April 2022 episode of the Certified Buckets podcast, New York City hip-hop legend Fat Joe told me he is close to Mitchell and that Mitchell’s dream is playing for Miami, not his hometown Knicks,” the New York Daily’s Kristian Winfield noted.

Mitchell has already been linked to Heat players this postseason in his workouts and at a party. 

Whether or not they are able to make a trade for Durant or Mitchell, the potential trade packages for Mitchell per The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson suggest the Heat offer up Duncan Robinson, Omer Yurtseven, Tyler Herro, and a first-round pick in exchange for Mitchell.