Following a flurry of trading by the Utah Jazz, the Miami Heat’s chances of acquiring superstar guard Donovan Mitchell have diminished considerably.
The Heat had hopes of acquiring Mitchell to give a huge boost to the team’s backcourt. However, the blockbuster deal that sent center Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves now has the Jazz focusing on making Mitchell the centerpiece of the team.
In trading Gobert, the Jazz picked up five players from the Timberwolves and a total of four future first-round picks. The last of those first-rounders, in 2029, is a protected pick, while the trade of Royce O’Neale to the Brooklyn Nets also garnered a first-round pick from the Nets.
The 25-year-old Mitchell has been a standout since entering the league as the 13th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. In his five seasons with the Jazz, Mitchell has averaged 23.9 points, 4.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.
Numbers like that explain why Mitchell was considered a potential hot commodity on the trade market. Past speculation about how he might be dealt elsewhere also has played a part in that interest
The Heat were likely to have been one of many teams that would have been in pursuit of Mitchell had those rumors become reality. That would have no doubt heightened Mitchell’s asking price, though that consideration has now become a moot point.
Now, the Heat will continue to pursue the opportunity to make a big splash. One superstar who is definitely on the market is Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant. On Thursday, Durant informed the Nets that he wanted to be traded, with one report stating that the Heat were on his “wish list” of teams.