With Miami Heat rumors swirling around about Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert’s availability, it’s safe to say they won’t have any interest.
Whether the Miami Heat and NBA season is in play, off for summer break, or suspended, one thing is certain: there will and always have been trade rumors surrounding top talent.
While the Miami Heat are certainly interested in acquiring a third star, it’s doubtful they’ll be checking on the availability of either Rudy Gobert or Donovan Mitchell.
Why mention the Western Conference duo? First, some background.
Because most recently in light of the coronavirus outbreak, the Utah Jazz have been the latest subject of the NBA’s non-stop drama wheel. Fans remember Rudy Gobert making some very lighthearted gestures about the pandemic before it’s outbreak.
Then in the most ironic fashion, Utah’s big man was the first player to test positive.
This led to multiple reports surfacing on potential friction between Gobert and his co-star Donovan Mitchell. Those reports have been widely disputed since, but fuel was added to the flame when ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Bojan Bogdanovic was undergoing surgery.
So as you can imagine, Utah fans were already in a state of panic when this two-month-old quote from Jazz forward Joe Ingles came to light:
"“Ingles, a key member of the Utah Jazz who sit in fourth place in the Western Conference, has said he is prepared to “walk away, fly to Australia and never play another game in my life and be very content with it” to protect his family from the virus.”"
Suddenly, Jazz Twitter was once again in shambles. Was this the end of an incredibly brief era in Utah? The rest of NBA fans began speculating on trade destinations for Mitchell and Gobert.
Well, I am here to say this. While there are a number of viable options, the Miami Heat are not one of them.
The Miami Heat are in the market for a third star it seems, but one that fits what they’ve already built. Neither Donovan Mitchell nor Rudy Gobert is that guy.
In any facet of a potential deal, a deal for either of the Jazz’s duo makes little sense.
The Heat are looking for a third All-Star to pair with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. There is little doubt about that. But how high do Mitchell and/or Gobert raise Miami’s threshold?
Their respective positions are depth prone on this Heat roster already. Mitchell would likely play well in between Kendrick Nunn and Butler, but is the kind of player that constantly needs the ball.
The phrase “too many mouths to feed” comes to mind.
Coach Erik Spoelstra could try and pair Adebayo and Gobert in the frontcourt, but it’s fairly certain that the Heat’s All-Star big man will be best utilized in this era and with his skillset as just the same thing as Gobert: a center and not necessarily a power forward.
Right now, Miami is rolling Adebayo out next to Meyers Leonard. In that, they have one of the better 3-point shooting frontcourts in the league. That’s something that Gobert is likely to never master.
The two players, while individually successful, are largely unproven in terms of team contributions. Utah has been stuck between the underdog and legitimate threat tiers of teams for the larger part of their careers.
A number of playoff appearances aside, both players may make larger impacts elsewhere. This season was the most anticipated year for a Utah team in recent memory and it’s been an up-and-down roller coaster, with a special thanks to the addition of aging point guard Mike Conley.
Then there’s the financial aspect. Both Gobert and Mitchell are in line for extensions. If not, they’ll each touch down on the open market as free agents in 2021.
In the same sense, the Heat essentially have enough assets in terms of draft capital and young players to make one trade. They’re going to make sure they get the most bang for their buck though in any deal and especially if the Godfather, Pat Riley, has anything to say about it.
This is exactly why they’ve been tied to bigger fish, like the Milwaukee Bucks franchise star, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
It’s no secret that Miami is eyeing The Greek Freak and his potential free agency in the same offseason. Don’t expect them to do anything that could damage their already slim chances at landing the 2018-2019 MVP; unless he agrees on an extension to remain in Milwaukee.
All across the board, a Donovan Mitchell/Rudy Gobert trade makes almost no sense for the Miami Heat; financially and in any area pertaining to the on-court product. If Pat Riley and company are truly star hunting behind-the-scenes, expect them to look elsewhere.