NBA insider reports Miami Heat are 'lurking' in Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes

According to an NBA insider, the Miami Heat are one of the teams interested in Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers if he becomes available this summer. The Cavs are entering the offseason full of questions, especially Mitchell, who will enter the final year of his contract.

Cleveland has already been linked to a potential Mitchell trade after getting eliminated by the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night. There's still a chance that the Cavs would sign Mitchell to an extension, which could spell the end of Darius Garland's tenure.

ESPN's Zach Lowe reported on "Get Up" that some of the teams who might be interested in Mitchell are the LA Lakers, Brooklyn Nets and the Miami Heat. Lowe explained that the Heat have always been connected to Mitchell and have the assets to make a deal.

"Miami to me is the other team to watch. They're always hunting around. They've been connected with Mitchell over the years. They're lurking, and they have a lot of stuff to offer in terms of picks and young players," Lowe said.

The Brooklyn Nets are an expected name in the potential Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes. They appear ready for a rebuild but are still capable of getting a star like Mitchell, who is a New York native. They have stars like Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, who could fit perfectly with the All-Star guard.

Meanwhile, the LA Lakers are reportedly looking for a third star despite the lack of young players to offer. They have three first-round picks available for trade, so it could be valuable to a team like the Cleveland Cavaliers in the future, especially with an aging LeBron James and an injury-prone Antony Davis.

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What if Donovan Mitchell signs an extension?

What if Donovan Mitchell signs an extension?

Despite the rumors surrounding Donovan Mitchell, it's still possible that he'll sign an extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers. If that happens, Darius Garland could reportedly seek a trade, as reported by Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic.

Garland has returned to an All-Star level ever since the arrival of Mitchell last season. He's currently represented by Klutch Sports, so Rich Paul is expected to take his client somewhere else if Mitchell stays in Cleveland.

One of the teams linked with Garland is the New Orleans Pelicans, a rising young team lacking a true playmaker. CJ McCollum is more of a shooting guard, while point Zion Williamson worked at times, but they still need a full-time point guard.

It's going to be a very interesting summer for the Cavaliers, as well as those teams who will get linked to either Mitchell or Garland. Jarrett Allen's name could also be in the mix.

The aforementioned report from The Athletic revealed that there's some unhappiness from his teammates for refusing to take injections to help recover from his injury that kept him out the final few games of the playoffs.