The Miami Heat as currently constructed can’t challenge the Boston Celtics, which means that Pat Riley is already plotting a blockbuster trade.
Riley’s not as high on Jimmy Butler as he once was, and there’s reason to believe that Butler would be more than okay with leaving Miami, too.
While Riley and Miami’s elite head coach Erik Spoelstra may feel that the 35-year-old Butler has one more epic playoff run in him, the Heat are likely inquiring into what type of return they could get for Butler on the trade market before February.
Miami has low-key assembled a very nice assortment of young players in Jaime Jaquez Jr. (23 years old), Nikola Jović (21), and Tyler Herro (24), a core which together with 27-year-old Bam Adebayo gives the Heat a real chance for sustained success in the post-Butler era.
An Adebayo-led Miami isn’t a contender, though, as long as Boston runs the Eastern Conference. On the other hand, if Riley can work his magic and pair Adebayo with another superstar in his prime, suddenly the Heat become mighty dangerous again.
That’s exactly why Riley would undeniably love to bring Donovan Mitchell to Miami.
Mitchell isn’t married to the Cleveland Cavaliers by any means, despite signing a $150 million extension with Cleveland in July.
The Cavaliers wouldn’t want anything to do with a Mitchell trade, but that doesn’t always matter in the modern NBA.
If things go south in Cleveland, Mitchell could request out, and the Cavaliers could in turn use the assets they get for Mitchell to launch a rebuild under new head coach Kenny Atkinson.
Butler wouldn’t fit into that plan for Cleveland, but the above trade would likely involve a third team.
Mitchell to Miami could become another magnum opus from Pat Riley.
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