There is a perception that Donovan Mitchell wants to end his partnership with the Cleveland Cavaliers this summer. On April 14th, an NBA executive told Josh Robbins and Sam Amick of The Athletic that Mitchell wants to be on a new team next season.
“That (Mitchell situation) is very real. Teams will definitely clear out a bunch of (assets) for him. We’ll see. But if they face Boston in the second round, they’ll probably lose. And yeah, that doesn’t bode well (for his future in Cleveland).”
Donovan Mitchell
On the surface, Donovan Mitchell would be an excellent acquisition for any team contending for a playoff spot. His skill set allows him to excel in most offensive systems. He has been one of the most productive pick-and-roll ball handlers since 2020. He averages 10.7 points per game and shoots 45.6% on 8.5 attempts.
Mitchell complimented his ball handling with three-point shooting. He has shot 38.9% on catch and shoot threes on 3.3 attempts per game. Catch and shoots have accounted for 35.9% of his attempts, as he shot 37.3% from behind the arc on 9.2 attempts per game.
Miami Heat
Donovan’s skill set makes him an excellent on-court fit for a playoff team like the Miami Heat. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has a history of using guards as floor spacers. Gabe Vincent, Terry Rozier, and Victor Oladipo took 40% of shots from behind the arc during their time with the team.
Although Donovan Mitchell is an excellent on-court fit for the Miami Heat, a trade for him would cost too much. According to Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report, the Miami Heat would have to give up three young players plus two first-round picks even to have a shot at acquiring him.
Donovan Mitchell for Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jović, a 2029 first-round pick, and a 2031 first-round pick
The proposed package would reduce the team’s roster depth, as Mitchell is earning 35.4 million dollars per year; the Miami Heat already have between 175 and 182 million dollars on their books for next season.
If they acquire Mitchell, they would approach or surpass the first salary cap apron, hindering the team’s ability to construct a roster properly. The first apron prevents teams from using several different avenues to acquire players.
Teams cannot:
Acquire a player via sign-and-trade
Use any portion of the bi-annual exception
Use more than the taxpayer portion (up to two years, with a starting salary of $5MM) of the mid-level exception
Sign a player who was waived during the current season if his pre-waiver salary for 2024-25 exceeded the amount of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($12,405,000)
Take back more than 100% of the salary it sends out in a trade
Use a traded player exception generated during the prior year (ie. between the end of the previous regular season and the end of the most recent regular season)
Jimmy Butler
Consequently, the team will have five rotation players with minimum contracts. This would force the Heat to depend on Mitchell Bam and Jimmy Butler throughout the regular season. Unfortunately, the organization has questioned Jimmy Butler’s regular-season effort over the past few weeks.
President of Basketball Operations Pat Riley stated that Bulter must commit to playing more games to get an extension.
“We have not discussed that internally right now. We have to look at making that kind of commitment and when we do it. We don’t have to do it until 2025, actually. But we’ll see. We haven’t made a decision on it, and we haven’t really in earnest discussed it. That’s a big decision on our part to commit those kinds of resources unless you have somebody who’s going to be there and available every single night.”
Butler’s effort makes a Mitchell trade questionable for the team. Mitchell has a playoff option in his contract after the 2024-25 season. Consequently, he can leave the organization if Butter doesn’t increase his effort or the team performs below expectations.
In conclusion, a Donovan Mitchell trade would be a mistake in 2024 because of his contract status and the assets a rival team would have to give up.
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