Donovan Mitchell’s 2023-24 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers most likely did not conclude as he had wanted, as he was forced to miss the Cavs’ final two games of the season in their Eastern Conference playoffs series against the Boston Celtics due to calf strain. Cleveland fought hard with Mitchell on the bench, but they were eventually eliminated after losing those two games.
In a similar line, the Miami Heat’s season did not turn out as expected. While they made it out of the Play-In Tournament as the eighth seed in the East, they also met the Celtics and lost in five games in the first round of the playoffs. When Jimmy Butler suffered an injury against the Philadelphia 76ers in their first Play-In game, the Heat were essentially out of the running.
With both clubs’ offseasons underway, Mitchell has been mentioned as a potential trade target for a Heat team looking for a third star player in the coming months. So, with that in mind, here’s the ideal trade offer Miami should make to Cleveland if they want to team Mitchell with Butler and Bam Adebayo.
Heat receives: Donovan Mitchell
Cavaliers receivers: Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, 2024 first-round selection, and 2030 first-round pick.
After the Heat balked at the asking price for Damian Lillard last summer and then saw him moved to the Milwaukee Bucks, the head staff is likely to be more aggressive this time around. If they want to trade for Mitchell, or any other outstanding player, they’ll have to pay a high price.
Mitchell had another great season with the Cavs (26.6 PPG, 6.1 APG, 5.1 RPG, 46.2 FG%), taking on a larger role while Darius Garland suffered with injury. Mitchell averaged career highs in assists and rebounds per game, earning his fifth All-Star selection in a row.
Pairing him with Butler and Adebayo would provide Miami with the scoring lift it has frequently lacked during its current run of success. Butler and Tyler Herro (more on him later) are the only two players who can create shots for themselves, so when one of them is out, the offense struggles to get open looks in a half-court environment.
Herro is the major item in this trade deal, although it’s worth noting that his trade value is likely at an all-time low. Herro had a usually excellent season offensively (20.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.5 APG, 44.1 FG%), but he was exposed on both ends of the court in their first-round matchup against the Celtics sans Butler. Herro’s scoring stats were poor (16.8 PPG, 5.4 APG, 3.6 RPG, 38.5 FG%), and he was frequently picked on defensively, which was a reoccurring trend early in his career.
Herro is a player that is comparable to Garland, which complicates the situation, but if Cleveland does not like the fit, they can simply move any of those players and get additional assets in the process. From a Heat perspective, however, this is why they must include a significant number of assets in their offer.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jovic are the other two players engaged here. Jaquez had a good rookie season for Miami (11.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.6 APG, 48.9 FG%), and he appears to be a reliable two-way wing for years to come. Jovic is a little more raw (7.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2 APG, 45.2 FG%), but with the right coaching, he has all of the characteristics to become a strong stretch-big in this league moving ahead.
Miami will also include draft-pick compensation in this deal, including their 2024 first-round selection and their 2030 first-round pick, in order to persuade Cleveland to complete the transaction. The 2024 selection is admittedly not particularly important, and the 2030 first-rounder on top of it may not be sufficient. The Heat will need to hope that the Cavaliers are high on Herro, Jaquez, and Jovic, or else this trade will fail.
As of now, Cleveland appears to be more likely to deal Garland than Mitchell, but the Heat will make serious proposals to acquire a premier scorer to their roster this offseason. Mitchell would be an ideal candidate to handle the backcourt in Miami’s attack, especially with Herro heading the opposite way in this trade.
The Heat should recruit another superstar immediately, since their title window might close at any moment. They have the assets to do so, and after passing up an opportunity to make a trade last offseason, the pressure will be intense this time around. Mitchell would be an ideal match for Miami, and if he becomes available on the trade market, the Heat should do all they can to get him to South Beach.
