While the Heat have not been able to jump into the superstar pool of free agents as hoped, they made a notable move to begin their offseason by agreeing to a two-year, $24 million contract extension with Davion Mitchell to keep him in Miami. The Baylor product and former ninth overall pick averaged 10.3 points and 5.3 assists in his 30 games with the Heat while shooting a career-high 44.7% on three-point attempts. Mitchell also ranked top five in field-goal percentage allowed as a contesting defender this season.
Mitchell first arrived in Miami via a financially-motivated deal. He was sent from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for P.J. Tucker and a draft pick. This marked the second time in his career that Mitchell had been traded after he started his career with the Sacramento Kings. The scrappy but undersized guard was originally sent to Toronto in a three-team trade during the 2024 draft.
Hopefully, Mitchell has now found his long-term home in Miami, where he has looked the part to this point. Owning the nickname “Off-Night” for his defensive impact, Mitchell seems to fit the Heat culture principles that are so publicly discussed. The Heat will be looking for him to build off the 30 games he spent there and hope this is only the start for the 26-year-old.
Miami still has plenty of work to do after going 37-45 in the regular season and getting blown out in the opening round of the playoffs to the Cleveland Cavaliers. They were swept by the Eastern Conference’s top seed by a combined 122 points. This marked the most lopsided series sweep in NBA history. With the Jimmy Butler drama having prevented the team from building momentum last year, they will look to build forward in the start of a new era once next season rolls around.
Looking ahead to the upcoming season, the Miami Heat rank 19th in championship odds at +17000 on DraftKings Sportsbook. They also hold +5500 odds of winning the Eastern Conference and +1400 odds of winning the Southeast Division.
There is still plenty of work to be done on the roster, but retaining Davion Mitchell on a cost-controlled contract is a step in the right direction for the Heat.
