Donovan Mitchell's 2023-24 campaign with the Cleveland Cavaliers likely didn't end the way he would have hoped for it to, as he was forced to sit out the Cavs final two games of the season in their Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Boston Celtics due to a calf strain. With Mitchell on the sidelines, Cleveland put up a good fight, but they were ultimately eliminated after losing those two contests.
In a similar vein, the Miami Heat didn't see their campaign go the way they would have hoped it did. While they managed to escape the Play-In Tournament as the eight seed in the East, they also bumped into the Celtics, losing to them in five games in their first-round playoff series. Once Jimmy Butler got injured against the Philadelphia 76ers in their first Play-In game, the Heat were practically dead in the water.
With the offseason upon both teams, Mitchell has been floated as a potential trade target for a Heat team that could be in the market for a third star player over the next few months. So with that in mind, let's take a look at the perfect trade offer Miami needs to send over to Cleveland if they want to pair Mitchell up with Butler and Bam Adebayo.
Heat receive: Donovan Mitchell
Cavaliers receiver: Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, 2024 first-round pick, 2030 first-round pick
After the Heat balked at the asking price for Damian Lillard last offseason and then watched him get traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, chances are their front office is going to be more aggressive this time around. If they intend on making a trade for Mitchell, or any superstar player for that matter, it's going to cost them a pretty penny.
Mitchell turned in another impressive campaign with the Cavs (26.6 PPG, 6.1 APG, 5.1 RPG, 46.2 FG%), taking on a bigger role as Darius Garland struggled with injuries. Mitchell averaged career-highs in assists and rebounds per game, while also earning his fifth-straight All-Star selection in the process.
Pairing him up with Butler and Adebayo would give Miami the scoring boost they have often lacked during their recent stretch of success. Butler and Tyler Herro (more on him in a second) are really the only guys who can create looks for themselves, so when one of them is off the court, it puts the offense in a bind at times, as they struggle to create open looks in a half-court setting.
The main piece in this trade offer would be Herro, although it's worth noting his trade value is probably at an all-time low. Offensively, it was a typically solid season from Herro (20.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.5 APG, 44.1 FG%), but he was exposed on both sides of the ball in their first-round series with the C's without Butler on the court. Herro's offensive numbers were ugly (16.8 PPG, 5.4 APG, 3.6 RPG, 38.5 FG%) and he was constantly getting picked on defensively, which has been a recurring theme early on in his career.
Herro is a somewhat similar player as Garland, which makes this a bit more complicated, but if Cleveland doesn't like the fit, they could just trade either one of those guys and pick up more assets in the process. From a Heat point of view, though, that's why they have to add a considerable amount of assets to their offer.
The two other players involved here are Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jovic. Jaquez enjoyed a strong rookie campaign for Miami (11.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.6 APG, 48.9 FG%) and he looks likely to be a solid two-way wing for years to come. Jovic is a bit more raw (7.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2 APG, 45.2 FG%), but with the right coaching, he has all the traits needed to become a solid stretch-big in this league moving forward.
Miami also will throw in some draft-pick compensation here by adding their 2024 first-round pick and their 2030 first-rounder to convince Cleveland to pull the trigger on this deal. The 2024 pick admittedly isn't super valuable, so the 2030 first-rounder on top of it may not even be enough. The Heat are going to have to hope that the Cavs are high on each of Herro, Jaquez, and Jovic, or else this deal will go nowhere fast.
As of right now, Cleveland seems more likely to trade Garland than Mitchell, but the Heat are going to be making some serious offers to add a star scorer to their squad this offseason. Mitchell would be a perfect fit to run the backcourt in Miami's offense, especially with Herro going the other way in this trade.
The time for the Heat to add another superstar is now, as their title window could conceivably close at any second. They have the assets to do so, and after passing up the opportunity to make a move last offseason, the pressure is going to be on in a big way this time around. Mitchell would be a perfect fit for Miami, and if he ends up becoming available on the trade market, the Heat need to go out and do what they can to bring him to South Beach.
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