The Miami Heat may have one of the more delicate salary puzzles in the league next summer, and Davion Mitchell sits right in the middle of it.
Mitchell is coming off a career year, and the Heat are projecting him to keep a major role after a summer of work that could set up a bigger season. The question is whether Miami can afford to keep him when the bill starts coming due.
Right now, the numbers point to some breathing room. After the blockbuster trade for 10-time All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo and the team-friendly extensions for Andrew Wiggins and Pelle Larsson, the Heat are projected to be $32.73 million below the first apron threshold. That amount is essentially enough to bring Mitchell back when he hits free agency next summer.
Antetokounmpo’s situation is the big one. He has a $62.79 million player option for the 2027-28 season.
If the 31-year-old declines it, he becomes eligible for a four-year, $275 million extension starting Jan. 1, 2027, with an estimated average annual value of $68.75 million. By the end of that deal, he would be 36 years old.
If the former Finals MVP instead picks up the player option, he’d be eligible for a three-year, $214 million extension. That path carries an estimated average annual value of $71.33 million and would give Miami more flexibility to keep Mitchell.
But Antetokounmpo is not the only financial call on the docket. Bobby Portis Jr. also has a $15.60 million player option for the 2026-27 season, and he’s the kind of veteran contenders would likely chase if he reaches the market.
Mitchell’s own case is built on a strong season. He averaged 9.3 points on 49 percent shooting, along with 2.7 rebounds, 6.5 assists and a steal per game in 70 starts. The 28-year-old is expected to hold down the starting point guard spot again, playing alongside Klay Thompson, Wiggins, Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
That role should give him plenty of chances to organize the offense and find clean looks around him. Mitchell is also a career 35.5 percent three-point shooter over five NBA seasons.
If Miami wants to keep him without asking for a steep discount, one possible route is moving Nikola Jovic. His four-year, $62.4 million rookie-scale extension begins this season, and the 23-year-old carries an average salary of $15.6 million. The Heat have made clear they believe in Jovic, but there is still some uncertainty around him, especially with in-season injuries.
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Heat Backcourt Gamble Now Comes Down To Davion Mitchell
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For now, the more important question appears to be how the Heat feel about Davion Mitchell and the rest of their current guard group. Miami has not been reported to have any official interest in Russell, but the possibility itself underscores the balancing act in front of the front office, which has to decide whether to keep the backcourt as is or pursue another proven option. However that conversation ends, Mitchells place in it seems central. [Read more 🡒]