As the Miami Heat approach the 2025-26 NBA season, their roster almost reads like a list of breakout candidates. If Nikola Jovic isn't the most obvious example, that's only because Kel'el Ware absolutely is, and expectations are sky-high for Pelle Larsson, too. There are reasons to keep believing in first-round rookie Kasparas Jakucionis (despite his shaky summer), and Jaime Jaquez Jr. quietly signaled that his bounce-back is coming.
It almost makes sense, then, for folks to gloss over the explosive finish Davion Mitchell had to last season. As a 27-year-old with four NBA seasons already under his belt, he's not the same kind of shiny, new object.
He does, however, have just as much breakout potential as the rest. And he already showed everyone why.
The 2021 lottery pick looked tremendous following his deadline deal to Miami.
When the Heat picked up Mitchell in a five-team swap in February, it hardly felt like the kind of move Miami fans needed to notice. It was his second trade in less than months, highlighting how his offensive shortcomings had prevented him from ever approaching what his lofty draft pedigree (No. 9 pick) suggested he was going to be.
Once he made it down to South Florida, though, it was as if everything magically fell into place. His defense and tenacity always figured to make him a clean culture fit, but he quickly became just as helpful on the offensive end. Over 30 regular-season outings (15 of them starts), he poured in 10.3 points on 50.4/44.7/70.2 shooting while averaging 5.3 assists against just 1.7 turnovers.
He looked, in other words, like a competent point guard who produced at both ends. And while that isn't quite the most exciting description, the Heat had such an obvious need at the position, that was enough of a boost to suggest he'd fill it.
Did he simply catch fire at the right time? Perhaps. It surely helped his bank account that he elevated his game right before reaching free agency, which the Heat didn't even let happen, as they re-signed him to a two-year, $24 million contract ahead of the market's opening. Then again, this looked more like a transformation than a hot streak, which dictated Mitchell's desire to return.
"One, coach [Erik Spoelstra] is one of the greatest coaches of all time," Mitchell told reporters while explaining his rationale behind re-signing. "So just learning from him, just asking questions, you won't get any better answers from anybody else, I think. And just my teammates, my teammates wanted me here, they embraced me here, they wanted me to be myself. If I can be somewhere and be myself, I know I can be the best player I can be."
While Mitchell is on the older side of a typical breakout candidate, he also didn't start his career in the most fertile area, as the Sacramento Kings have hardly been a hotbed of player development. So, maybe this was simply the sign of someone fitting the right fit.
And if that proves to be the case, then the Heat can start entertaining a lot bigger dreams for the upcoming season. The best-case version of Mitchell would be a massive asset for Miami, boosting the offense with his playmaking and shooting (both of which sustained in the playoffs) and giving this defense a real shot at being elite, since the Heat could have four plus-stoppers on the floor when he's out there with Ware, Andrew Wiggins, and Bam Adebayo.
Mitchell looked the part of an impact player after landing in Miami, and maybe he's just getting started.