A lot of teams seem to have concluded their business for this offseason, but there are still two stars in the NBA with question marks over their futures. The Nets are reportedly still looking to find a suitable trade for Kevin Durant, while Donovan Mitchell is also on the market, albeit for what seems to be an exorbitant price.
Both these stars have been linked with one organization in particular, with the Miami Heat trying to make moves to put themselves in a position to trade for either Durant or Mitchell. However, the latest report from Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report suggests that the two aren’t viewed equally as targets, and the Heat has prioritized acquiring Durant over making a move for Mitchell.
“The Miami Heat remain focused on acquiring one of those aforementioned All-Stars, and multiple sources with knowledge of the situation told B/R that Miami has prioritized pursuing Durant over Mitchell.”
On the face of it, choosing KD over Spida seems like a no-brainer. As good as Mitchell is, he simply doesn’t compare to Kevin Durant. However, there are other things to be considered. Mitchell will be cheaper to get than KD, even though it won’t be by a lot. He is also significantly younger than Durant, meaning he could end up keeping them playing competitive basketball for a longer period.
Mitchell has averaged more than 25 points per game and nearly five assists per game for the last three seasons, and he will only get better. KD has the better raw numbers, but he has also recently struggled with injuries.
Both deals are far from closed, acquiring any player will mean long negotiations with the Nets or the Jazz. While there are no guarantees in the NBA, if Miami can get either Mitchell or Durant while keeping a hold of Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, they will instantly become contenders.
