Donovan Mitchell is one of the best shooting guards in the league. He is an athletic slasher with shot creation skills, and his ability to provide big production on volume suggests that he can be a go-to scorer. Over the course of this season, Donovan Mitchell averaged 25.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 5.3 APG for the Utah Jazz.
After the Utah Jazz’s early exit from the playoffs, there has been some speculation that Donovan Mitchell might get traded. The Miami Heat were named as a “smart landing spot” for the young shooting guard:
Mitchell was asked a different way about the rumors he might want to leave Salt Lake City.
“My mindset is to win,” he said. “Right now, I’m not really looking at that. I answered (the first) question, and you could take that. But for me, I just want to win, yo. Like, this hurts. And like I said, I’ll think about it in a week and go from there. But right now, I’m not thinking at all about that.”
Nothing definitive about wanting to honor the three years and $98 million left on his pact. Post Sports+ reported earlier this month that Dwyane Wade, a minority Jazz owner, could play a big role in whether Mitchell is content to stay in Salt Lake City.
Miami has been mentioned by league sources as a smart landing spot for Mitchell with Wade’s strong connections to his beloved Heat. However, Knicks president Leon Rose was Wade’s agent in the later stages of the guard’s career. Rose postponed his start with the Knicks to arrange Wade’s retirement ceremony in Miami.
Recently, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report has revealed that the Miami Heat could potentially offer a package for Donovan Mitchell that is centered on Tyler Herro and multiple first-round picks:
A Donovan Mitchell trade between the Knicks and Jazz is highly unlikely, per @JakeLFischer
League sources believe the Heat are one team that could offer a better package around Tyler Herro and multiple first-round picks pic.twitter.com/W2ojhDK1Lf
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 31, 2022
The Miami Heat’s lack of consistent offense showed in the playoffs, and Jimmy Butler had to take on a huge offensive load for the team. Donovan Mitchell would definitely help relieve some of the offense load on Jimmy Butler and give them another consistent scorer.
It remains to be seen if the Utah Jazz do end up trading Donovan Mitchell. He is their best player and still has a few years left on his contract. Hopefully, we see the team improve their roster around him, and trading Donovan Mitchell should be a last resort for them.