Miami Heat fans are doing what they can to subliminally get Donovan Mitchell to South Beach
There has been much made about where Kevin Durant will end up once he’s traded from the Brooklyn Nets, and it’s overshadowed another substantial All-Star likely to move: Donovan Mitchell.
The Utah Jazz hit a reset button of sorts this offseason when they traded Rudy Gobert for Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, and a slew of draft picks. They’ve had their ears peeled for offers for Donovan since at least July.
One of the teams that has been mentioned repeatedly with Mitchell — and virtually any other All-Star player who becomes available via free agency or trade — is the Miami Heat. Kevin O’Connor reported that Miami, the New York Knicks, and Brooklyn Nets are among the teams that are in the running for Mitchell. More recently, Shams Charania reported that the Jazz and Knicks have re-engaged in talks around the guard (subscription required), and that the Hornets and the Wizards are involved in talks as well.
Forces outside of the Mitchell talks indicate something could be on the rise as well. Tyler Herro told Ira Winderman he’s taking on a mindset of preparation whether it’s in Miami or elsewhere in a recent interview.
"“So rumors, like I said last summer, they don’t bother me. I’m just getting ready for this season and whether I’m on the Heat or somewhere else, I’m getting ready for the season.”"
Earlier this summer, Jake Fischer reported that Miami was prioritizing Durant over Mitchell, though.
Despite the fact that it sounds like Mitchell is likely to go to another team at this point, you can’t write off Pat Riley from star hunting. Never.
Fans chant “let’s go Heat” while Donovan Mitchell takes free-throws at Miami Pro-Am
Miami Heat fans know the deal, and they were quick to subliminally put a bug in Mitchell’s ear while he was participating in the Miami Pro-Am recently.
As Mitchell took free-throws at the event, fans chanted, “let’s go Heat!”, perhaps to just nudge him toward Miami. You can check out a video of the chants here.
Mitchell was playing alongside Heat big Bam Adebayo in the exhibition match, and Bam certainly brought his pro game despite the talent gap.
Overall, Mitchell seems comfortable staying in Utah or going elsewhere. Of course, he does not control his ultimate destination, but South Beach is generally a preferred landing spot for stars. Not only is the weather nice, but the Heat have been competitive for a while, and Mitchell could easily pair up with the likes of Jimmy Butler to push the Heat to another Eastern Conference Finals title — something they accomplished in 2020 — and hopefully an NBA Finals win.