Source: Some Members Of Heat Thought Donovan Mitchell Would Request Trade To Miami After Cavs Lost To Celtics In 2024 Playoffs

April 29, 2025

Some members of the Miami Heat thought Donovan Mitchell would request a trade to South Beach after the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs in five games, a source told Hoops Wire.

The Cavaliers acquired Mitchell from the Utah Jazz in 2022 and lost to the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2023 playoffs. Cleveland beat the Orlando Magic in the first round of the 2024 postseason before losing to Boston in the second round and there was a narrative in NBA circles that Mitchell didn’t want to stay with the Cavaliers since they weren’t contenders.

However, that was all white noise, as Mitchell signed a three-year, $150 million extension with the Cavaliers last summer.

The Heat, who failed to acquire Damian Lillard after the point guard requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers in 2023 and had Miami as his preferred landing spot, had some personnel who thought Mitchell would request a trade last summer to play with Bam Adebayo.

Those members didn’t know that Mitchell never had any intention of leaving Cleveland, the source said.

Mitchell and the Cavaliers destroyed the Heat in the first round of this year’s playoffs. Cleveland swept Miami and won Game 3 by 37 points and Game 4 by 55.

“Last year, we only won one road [playoff] game. We’ve only won one road playoff game since I’ve been here until this year,” Mitchell said after sweeping the Heat. “And for us just never being satisfied, it’s really a test on ourselves. Understanding that, yeah, we were up 3-0, but this was our test against ourselves.”

Mitchell loves playing for the Cavaliers, the source said. He wants to spend the rest of his career in Cleveland and believes this year’s group can win it all.

Mitchell can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2027 if he declines his 2027-28 player option worth $53,817,156. Barring a sudden turn of events, Mitchell is expected to retire with the Cavaliers, the source said.