Cleveland Cavaliers: Donovan Mitchell Has East Contender ‘High on List of Destinations’ Amid Cavs Trade Rumors

According to NBA insider Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, Mitchell considers Miami one of his top priorities should he end up parting ways with the Cavs this summer:

“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 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,” Pincus wrote.

For what it’s worth, the Cavs have Mitchell locked up through 2026, although the final year of his contract has a player option clause. This means that if Cleveland fears that Mitchell could potentially walk away as an unrestricted free agent next year, it would be in their best interest to cash in on him this summer while they still can.

Would the Heat make their move, though?

Donovan Mitchell-Jimmy Butler Swap?

There has been a lot of buzz surrounding the Heat of late, particularly after team president Pat Riley refused to shut the door on a potential Jimmy Butler trade this summer. In this light, Pincus conjured up a truly landscape-shifting four-team mega-trade that not only sees the Heat trade away Butler but also has them landing Mitchell in a wild scenario.

Below are the full details of the proposed trade:

Heat get:

• Donovan Mitchell (via Cavaliers)
• Kyle Kuzma (via Wizards)
• $13.4 million trade exception (Jimmy Butler)
• $2.5 million trade exception (Nikola Jović)
• $2.3 million trade exception (Tyler Herro)

Cavaliers get:

• Tyler Herro (via Heat)
• No. 15 pick (via Heat)
• 2026 Phoenix Suns second-round pick (via Wizards)
• 2028 LA Clippers first-round pick (via 76ers)
• 2030 first-round pick (via Heat)
• $6.4 million trade exception (Mitchell)
• $2.6 million trade exception (Ty Jerome)

Sixers get:

• Jimmy Butler (via Heat)

Wizards get:

• Paul Reed Jr. (via 76ers)
• Nikola Jović (via Heat)
• Ty Jerome (via Cavaliers)
• No. 16 pick (via 76ers)
• 2026 (TBD) first-round pick (via 76ers)
• $23.5 million trade exception (Kuzma)

The Heat don’t only lose Butler in this hypothetical blockbuster trade, but they also need to part ways with Tyler Herro, Nikola Jovic, and the No. 15 pick of the 2024 NBA Draft.

Is it all worth it?