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Amid a potential Andrew Wiggins deal for Rui Hachimura with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Miami Heat re-signed Davion Mitchell. The fifth-year guard turned in the best season of his career in 2024-25. Mitchell proved his worth while averaging 27.4 minutes and starting in 15 regular-season games.
It was enough for the Heat to bring Mitchell back on a two-year, $24 million contract, per ESPN's Shams Charania.
“Restricted free agent Davion Mitchell intends to sign a two-year, $24 million deal to return to the Miami Heat,” Charania reported. “Heat officials and Mitchell's agent, Josh Beauregard-Bell of Wasserman, negotiated the new fully guaranteed contract.”
Mitchell averaged a career-best in points (10.3), assists (5.3), rebounds (2.7), and steals (1.4) for the Heat last season. He also shot at a 50.4% clip from the field, including 44.7% from beyond the arc.
Sources: Lakers, Heat moving forward with Andrew Wiggins deal
Perhaps Mitchell's signing is a sign of the Heat's shift towards a younger direction, as it involves swapping out veteran Andrew Wiggins for the Lakers' Rui Hachimura. After the Heat failed to trade for Kevin Durant, Wiggins was reportedly made available by the front office.
With Hachimura as a potential secondary target, Wiggins makes sense for the Lakers, as ClutchPoints' Anthony Irwin explained.
“For the Lakers, this deal would make sense as so much of their salary cap is devoted to players who naturally defend power forwards. They desperately lacked footspeed on the perimeter last season, and Wiggins addresses that issue,” Irwin wrote. “His ability to knock down open triples makes him one of the more popular wings on the market this offseason.
“For the Heat, they land a younger wing in Hachimura and a lot more financial flexibility than they currently have to work with. If Knecht is also included in the trade, they'd be able to maximize his potential in their development program, which has a nice track record of molding young players with his skill set,” Irwin concluded.
The Heat re-signed Davion Mitchell, 26, before he enters his prime, and it's worth the $24 million investment. And while a potential move for the 27-year-old Hachimura would be an excellent opportunity for the six-year veteran to maximize his talent on a competitive, rebuilding roster, such as the Heat.
After finishing the season with a below-.500 record (37-45), the Heat will look to improve by adding veteran players with untapped potential, as the franchise enters its first offseason since trading Jimmy Butler to the Warriors.
