Davion Mitchell fit like a glove when he was traded to the Miami Heat last spring.
In the final year of his contract at the time, Mitchell blossomed. In 30 games with Miami, he averaged 10.3 points, 5.3 assists and 1.4 steals, shooting an absurd 44.7 percent from 3-point range and 50.4 percent from the floor.
Earlier this week, he explained to Miami Heat beat writer Couper Moorhead why he fit the organization so perfectly.
“My agent always asked me, ‘Where would you want to go if you could choose?’ I always say Miami because the way they play,” he told Moorhead. “Everyone plays exactly how I play: Extremely hard, you don’t care who scores all the points, you just play hard. You try to play the right way and I knew I’d fit here so easy.
“I knew as soon as I got traded, I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m going to fit here easy.’ I knew immediately I was going to fit.”
Mitchell, 27, re-signed with the Heat days before free agency, signing a two-year, $24 million deal.
The deal was reasonable for both sides. The 6-foot-2 guard can cash in on a greater deal with bird rights in two seasons, while the Heat are only paying Mitchell roughly 7.5 percent of the cap in both seasons. That would’ve been less palatable if the Heat, say, traded for Kevin Durant while keeping both Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo.
Mitchell starred in his role with the Heat. He was the quintessential embodiment of a Miami Heat player with his toughness, grit, hustle, etc. To succeed as an organization, you want to surround yourself with like-minded individuals. And that’s exactly who Mitchell was.
If he’s able to replicate at least 80-90 percent of his 2024-25 production, the Heat will be in an excellent spot. Mitchell is expected to start the season as the team’s point guard amid Tyler Herro’s foot surgery, which will sideline him until mid-November.
What are your expectations for Mitchell heading into the 2025-26 season. Let us know in the comments!
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That interview video is awesome! Mitchell is a very open and likeable fellow. It’s easy to see why he is quickly becoming a fan favorite.
He has the potential to be a Jrue Holiday type (on an NBA championship team) with maybe a little less offense and a little more defense. He and Bam can be the anchors for a top 5 NBA defense.
Powell, Wiggins and Ware aren’t exactly chopped liver. Herro may find himself coming off the bench as sixth man when he returns.
The first will be an opportunity for everyone to evaluate whether the team has the potential (with a little tweaking), to contend in the East -OR- if it needs significant upgrades/changes of personnel. We will get a glimpse by the 5th game (October 30th) after the Heat’s 5th game. We will have a better idea by the team’s 20th game on November 29th.
If the stars align just right, the 2025-2026 Heat team will win many games than last season because of a suffocating defense and clutch offensive plays at the end of close games.
play so hard and make tyler move to the bench lol