Why Heat must do everything in their power to re-sign Davion Mitchell

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8 hours ago

The post Why Heat must do everything in their power to re-sign Davion Mitchell appeared first on ClutchPoints.
As the Miami Heat enter a crucial offseason where they look to vastly improve after a tenth seed finish and a dreadful sweep in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, there is a lateral move to make that would be a solid first step. While the Heat are surrounded by Kevin Durant rumors and other big names, one decision that has to be made includes the status of Davion Mitchell.
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Acquired via the Jimmy Butler trade before the deadline, Mitchell came from the Toronto Raptors and had an immediate impact on Miami. He had been a seamless fit for the team's culture and tough-minded play, providing defensive intensity and finding top stars Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo in perfect spots.
What the Heat are expected to do with Davion Mitchell
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Now, he heads into free agency, where he is set to be a restricted free agent as, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, the Heat will be extending a qualifying offer, which allows them to match 'outside offers.' As the situation goes, there a numerous amount of avenues this situation could go, but whichever happens, it should end with Mitchell back with Miami.
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'The Heat is expected to extend an $8.7 million qualifying offer to Mitchell before the June 29 deadline to make him a restricted free agent, allowing Miami to match outside offers in free agency to retain Mitchell,' Chiang wrote. 'If the Heat doesn't extend that qualifying offer, Mitchell would become an unrestricted free agent this offseason and Miami would lose the power to always have an opportunity to match outside offers.'
'Mitchell can return to the Heat on the one-year, $8.7 million qualifying offer that Miami is expected to extend to him in the coming weeks,' Chiang continued. 'But the more likely scenario after Mitchell's strong finish to this season with the Heat is for him to sign an offer sheet with another team when free agency begins on July 1, putting pressure on Miami to decide on how far it's willing to go to keep him. The Heat would then have a few days to decide whether it will match that offer to re-sign Mitchell.'
Davion Mitchell's 'amazing fit' with the Heat
While the Heat's offseason plans remain to be seen, losing Mitchell would be one that frustrates the team since the 26-year-old impressed many within the organization. Though the aforementioned scenarios with Mitchell could lead to a prolonged process, the payer could also talk with Miami about a new contract.
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'Mitchell could also simply negotiate a new contract with the Heat for any length and any amount in free agency this summer,' Chiang wrote. 'Miami holds Mitchell's Bird rights, which allow the Heat to exceed the salary cap to re-sign him up to his maximum salary despite already being over the cap.'
Even though it's understood that basketball is a business, there's no denying that Mitchell wants to stay with the Heat, speaking of the 'amazing fit' during exit interviews after the team's ugly playoff exit.
'It's an amazing fit,' Mitchell said. 'Everything they do, everything they're about, it's like I really didn't have to do anything. I feel like I'm just here, I feel like I can be free.'
'Haven't really thought about it or talked about it with my representation,' Mitchell continued about his situation. 'I think that there's a long summer that we're going to have a lot of time to talk about it. And when we do, I'll be prepared for that. But as of right now, I don't really know because I've never been in this situation before. So I'm just waiting to talk to my agency.'
Davion Mitchell had the best stretch of his career with the Heat
The Heat standout in Mitchell brought a plethora of aspects that the team needed from either their starting lineup or from the bench, giving them a spark. He would be a consistent rotational piece since the trade, as he spoke about how he thrived so well with Miami.
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'Coach Spo told me the first day, 'Just be yourself. I want you to be yourself. Go out there defensively and offensively and play your game. You know how to play the game. Get your teammates involved,' Mitchell said. 'Things that I've been doing since I've been playing basketball, and I had the opportunity to do it here.'
'The past places I've been to, I didn't really have the opportunity,' Mitchell continued. 'I was playing with a lot of good players, so I understood it. 'But being here, I kind of just fit right in. They needed somebody who can be a defensive presence, who can get their teammates open, make my teammates' lives just a lot easier, and I think that's what I did.'
This past season, Mitchell averaged 10.3 points, 5.3 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 44.7 percent from beyond the arc. The last statistic was one that was huge for the team, as his three-point shooting, along with his defense and point guard abilities, made him a viable asset.
'It's not hard,' Mitchell said. 'It's very simple, just play hard. There's no really tricks or anything. He just wants you to play extremely hard. Honestly, that's how I got in this league, that's who I am. I'm always going to play hard no matter what the circumstances are. So it's pretty easy for me.'
Heat's culture is defined by Davion Mitchell
With the last Heat season having a lot of lows compared to the highs, Mitchell was one of the positives that came out of a relatively forgettable year. However, it is a valid concern to bring up about overpaying for a player like Mitchell when the team could go after a star like Durant, who would command more financial flexibility.
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Still, it's almost imperative to assess the roster as it was constructed last season and keep the players that made a lasting impression, which no doubt Mitchell falls under. As team president, Pat Riley continues to reinforce the culture that he touts, keeping Mitchell would be a display of that belief.
'Just the culture here, I think I fit completely in,' Mitchell said. 'Since the first day I got here, it was pretty easy to fit in. Everyone is friendly, everyone is cool, everyone loves what I do, everyone loves what I bring to the table.'
At any rate, it remains to be seen what the Heat does with Mitchell, but the team itself is looking to improve after finishing with a 37-45 record, which put them 10th in the East, as said before.