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After the Cleveland Cavaliers lost multiple key players to injuries, Donovan Mitchell became a name to monitor on the trade market. As the Feb. 8 deadline rapidly approaches, the Miami Heat have been linked to the All-Star guard.
The Heat have always been an opportunistic team, looking for disgruntled stars to land via trade. Based on this reporting, it seems Mitchell could be the newest target in their sights. After making the NBA Finals last year, he could be the type of player to help them win the East again in 2024.
Looking at the standings, Miami could benefit from a home-run trade like that. They sit in seventh place with a 21-16 record. Bringing in a player like Mitchell would put them in the same conversation with the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics.
With the deadline a little less than a month away, here are three possible scenarios where the Miami Heat could land Donovan Mitchell in a trade.
Trades Miami Heat could offer for Donovan Mitchell
1) Kyle Lowry, Josh Richardson, RJ Hampton + picks
The best case scenario for the Heat would be packaging Kyle Lowry's contract for Donovan Mitchell. Since signing with Miami a few years back, the former champion has not brought the level of production many expected.
Along with Lowry, the Cleveland Cavaliers also land Josh Richardson. He's a veteran who can provide them wing depth now but could also be a trade piece later down the line. Hampton is still a young prospect who has bounced around the league some, giving the Cavs a chance to take a flier on him.
In this scenario, the Heat would have to part ways with a sizable amount of draft capital to make a deal happen.
2) Tyler Herro, Josh Richardson, Nikola Jovic + picks
The most realistic scenario for the Miami Heat would be creating a package centered around Tyler Herro. Bringing in a player like Donovan Mitchell would limit his opportunities in the offense, so Cleveland might want a high-level player in return.
Richardson is added again for finanical reasons, as is Nikola Jokic. Parting with Herro and Jovic might lessen the amount of draft capital needed to facilitate this trade.
Since being drafted in the first round of the 2022 draft, Jovic has shown nice flashes with the Heat. This season, he's averaging 6.6 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 46% from beyond the arc.
A return package like this best suits the Cavs, as they are not looking to rebuild. Instead, they'd be adding productive pieces around their core of Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.
3) Duncan Robinson, Caleb Martin, Josh Richardson, Nikola Jovic + picks
While it's highly unlikely, there's a scenario where the Miami Heat could make the money work without Lowry or Herro's contract. In this scenario, they could package Duncan Robinson, Caleb Martin, Richardson, Jovc and picks for Donovan Mitchell.
One reason why the Cavs could turn this down is the abundance of players coming in. They'd have to waive multiple people on the roster now to make room for all the new additions.
If Cleveland wanted to stabilize their wing depth, it would be one way to do it. All three of these veterans provide length and three-point shooting ability. That's crucial for the Cavs, who are built around a smaller guard in Garland.
While it works from a salary-matching standpoint, this is likely not the kind of return the Cavaliers would want in return for an All-Star.
