Blockbuster Trade Proposal Sends Donovan Mitchell To Heat, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. And Nikola Jovic To Cavaliers

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report proposed the following trade idea between the Heat and Cavaliers: 

The Deal: Donovan Mitchell for Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jović, a 2029 first-round pick and a 2031 first-round pick

“This trade makes Cleveland deeper, better balanced and younger. For the Heat, it’s a swing for the fences, and a pretty risky one at that,” Bailey wrote.

According to NBA insider Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, Mitchell could force his way off the Cavaliers this offseason. 

Mitchell, one of the top scorers in the NBA, has the Heat “high on his list.”

“The Cavaliers are still competing, but many in NBA circles believe that, barring a title, Mitchell will force his way out of Cleveland this offseason,” Pincus wrote. “Of all the NBA guards, Mitchell may be the closest to Heat legend and Hall-of-Famer Dwyane Wade. He will be 28 before next season (seven years younger than Jimmy Butler). He has a strong relationship with Bam Adebayo and is said (by multiple NBA insiders) to have Miami high on his list of destinations.”

Mitchell is under contract for next season and has a $37 million player option for 2025-26, but he is eligible to sign a four-year extension this summer.

If Mitchell doesn’t sign an extension with the Cavaliers this summer, the thought is that Cleveland will look to trade him before free agency in the summer of 2025.

If Mitchell becomes a free agent in 2025, he is eligible to sign for a max of five years and $269.9 million with the team that holds his Bird rights (the Cavaliers now) or four years, $200.1 million with a new team.

In his second season with the Cavaliers, Mitchell averaged 26.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists while shooting 46.2% from the field, 36.8% from 3 and 86.5% from the free-throw line. 

Mitchell has career averages of 24.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists with the Utah Jazz and Cavaliers. He scored a career-high 71 points last season against the Chicago Bulls.