The 1 key move Miami must still make in 2022 NBA offseason
Are the Miami Heat ready to overpay just to get All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell?
Mitchell has been one of the hottest tickets right now in the 2022 NBA free agency, and a move to Miami would benefit him and the team.
Although the Miami Heat did make a bid for Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, they haven’t been very active during the NBA free agency period otherwise.
Recall that they lost P.J. Tucker for nothing. His departure is unfortunate, particularly given that the Heat were unable to find a suitable replacement. Now, Miami appears prepared to begin the season without a defensive-minded power forward on the roster.
Bringing back Victor Oladipo, Caleb Martin, and Dewayne Dedmon doesn’t really make a difference. In the meantime, rookie Nikola Jovic is still too far away in his development. The Heat are undoubtedly a strong candidate for Kevin Durant, who would transform them from a club that appeared to have taken a step back to maybe the league’s top title contender. He may be way out of reach, though.
Mitchell is slightly more attainable, and he can become a true difference-maker, too.
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Heat Key Move
Trade for Donovan Mitchell
If the Miami Heat can actually pull off trading for Donovan Mitchell, that would make a ton of noise.
“You have to assume that Donovan Mitchell’s ultimate goal is to win a championship. The New York Knicks are not close to a championship.”
—@Foxworth24 thinks the Miami Heat are a better fit for Donovan Mitchell pic.twitter.com/u1PKuTW3gm
— First Take (@FirstTake) July 14, 2022
Mitchell is a top scorer in today’s game and a three-time All-Star. He averaged 25.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 steals a game in the 2021-2022 regular season while shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from outside the arc.
According to reports, the Heat would probably have to give up guard Tyler Herro to get Mitchell. Herro alone would surely not be enough, which is why other names attached to a possible deal include Duncan Robinson, Caleb Martin, and Victor Oladipo. And yet that might still not be enough, especially after Utah fleeced Minnesota in the Rudy Gobert trade. In fact, due to the lack of compelling offers from Miami, the Jazz allegedly now want the Heat to add a third team to a potential deal.
This is probably due to the Heat’s lack of draft assets to complete a transaction. When compared to the eight first-round draft picks that the Knicks can give, Miami only has two tradeable first round picks that it might use to acquire Mitchell.
If the Heat can actually entice a third team to enter this circus, having Mitchell team up with Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, and Bam Adebayo would really up Miami’s chances of returning to the NBA Finals. This would give them much more firepower to contend with the likes of the Sixers, Bucks, Celtics, and Nets while retaining their defensive identity.
On another note, some may harp about the Designated Rookie Rule. This prohibits trading for a player on a Designated Rookie deal. Both Bam Adebayo and Donovan Mitchell are covered by this. Interestingly enough, however, Miami can actually have both guys on the same team because they drafted Adebayo.
Keep in mind that in each of his first five NBA seasons, Mitchell averaged 20.5 or more points per game. That’s why Utah’s asking price has been quite high, but it’s also why he’s worth a roll of the dice.
