The Miami Heat will have to make a decision this offseason about whether or not to pay guard Davion Mitchell, who will be a restricted free agent this offseason.
Mitchell, 26, has bounced around over his first four seasons after being selected No. 9 overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2021 NBA Draft.
It’s pretty shocking that he’s yet to find a home. But the 6-foot-2 guard revealed after Thursday’s 122-112 win over the Atlanta Hawks that he knew he would fit with what the Heat right away upon being acquired.
“I mean, honestly, day one I felt like I was going to fit (with) the Miami Heat,” he said. “The way they play, what they bring, the energy, the culture they have–I kind of knew I was going to fit in the first day I stepped here.”
Mitchell finished Thursday’s game with 16 points on 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point range, dishing out six assists with one steal in 36 minutes.
That included a hustle play in the third quarter, diving for a loose ball and creating a turnover that led to a Haywood Highsmith three in transition. It earned the praise of head coach Erik Spoelstra, too.
Through 22 games with the Heat, Mitchell’s averaging 9.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He’s shooting 51.6 percent from the floor and 48.4 percent from 3-point range on 2.9 triple tries per game.
I don’t know if Mitchell’s newfound efficiency is sustainable over a full season. However, to me, the Heat’s impending decision is an easy one: Pay him.
His fit with Miami has been nothing short of seamless. He’s able to generate paint touches and apply rim pressure whenever he wants to. Teams still don’t necessarily respect his 3-point shot, so him taking-and-making them at a respectable clip is very encouraging.
His point-of-attack defense has helped the Heat dramatically. The defense has been 2.2 points better per 100 possessions with him on the floor (71st percentile) versus when he’s off, according to Cleaning The Glass. Additionally, opponents’ turnover rate is 2.8 percent higher (95th percentile) with Mitchell on the floor.
You’d be hard-pressed to find any player impacted Miami as much as Mitchell has since the deadline, even though it hasn’t always resulted in wins and losses. There’s still question about whether he’s a long-term starter, but he’s fit like a glove in an organization that relishes hyper-competitive players who excel in their roles.
And that’s exactly what Mitchell does.
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You are singing the right song with that interview. I hope the Heat make you a keeper so we can focus on the rest of this pre 2026 season.