Davion Mitchell has been a smash hit since joining the Miami Heat at the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Mitchell was part of the package that sent Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors.
Since moving to South Beach, Mitchell has cemented himself as a core part of Erik Spoelstra’s rotation. His abrasive style of play perfectly fits how Miami likes to approach games.
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Heat would like to keep Mitchell with the franchise long-term. Mitchell is in the final year of his current deal. If the Heat extend a qualifying offer in the summer, he will become a restricted free agent.
“According to someone with direct knowledge, the Heat ideally would like to keep point guard Davion Mitchell, an impending restricted free agent who has thrived in a bench role recently after his February acquisition from Toronto,” Jackson reported. “But the type of offers he gets in restricted free agency could force Miami’s hand.”
Mitchell has played in 1748 possessions for the Heat this season. Miami is +3.7 in those possessions and ranks in the 80th percentile for defensive rating, holding opposing teams to 111.4 points per 100 possessions, per Cleaning The Glass.
Given how Spoelstra likes to build success on the back of physical defense, it makes sense that Miami would look to retain Mitchell long-term.
Kyle Anderson Has Also Impressed in Miami
Another player who joined the Heat as part of the Butler trade is Kyle Anderson. The veteran forward has emerged as a reliable ball-handler with the second unit.
“Kyle is giving us something different,” Spoelstra told Jackson during a recent interview. “He’s a point guard. So he can set the table, he can control tempo, he can control and manipulate the defense. He can do it from the point guard position, he can do it from the low post. He just has a knack for those kind of plays and nuances. And we want to lean into that. Because it seems like a good fit right now with that second unit for him to be able to just kind of manipulate and orchestrate with his experience and IQ.”
Anderson is in the first year of a three-year $18 million deal. He will likely have an important role to play within the Heat’s second unit over the coming seasons. Spoelstra is the perfect coach to get the best out of Anderson’s unconventional play style.
Spoelstra Praises Tyler Herro’s Improvements
Tyler Herro has been the Heat’s standout performer this season. Even with all the dysfunction following Butler’s trade request and subsequent departure, Herro has remained consistent.
In 76 outings, Herro is averaging 23.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists. He’s shooting 47.1% from the field and 37.3% from deep. During a March 29 postgame news conference, Spoelstra provided some insights to Herro’s improvements.
“He’s playing so patiently without the ball,” Spoelstra said. “It’s really slowing down for him. The more aggressive you are, he’ll play off the ball. He’s playing less and less, bringing the ball up the court and running an angle pick and roll; he’s playing off a catch, playing off overreactions. He’s so skilled; if you are getting him on the move like that, he’s a handful. And he’s burning a lot less calories doing it as well. Guys are getting comfortable getting him the ball when he’s on the move.”
Herro is rightfully in the running for the Most Improved Player award. So, even though Butler’s exit undoubtedly hurt, Miami has multiple reasons to be excited about what comes next for the franchise.
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