NBA superstars have changed teams at the drop of a hat over the past decade, and media members seemingly contribute to it by spreading rumors attempting to funnel every small-market star to a big market anytime they see an opportunity.

All it took was one playoff loss to kickstart more rumors today, as one superstar reportedly has his sights set on joining the Miami Heat this offseason if the opportunity presents itself.

Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus shared that the Heat are near the top of Donovan Mitchell’s wish list if he requests a trade this offseason from the Cleveland Cavaliers (via Evan Sidery).

The Heat are near the top of Donovan Mitchell’s wishlist, if he requests a trade this offseason from the Cavaliers, per @EricPincus (https://t.co/bA5u1RTuZW).

Mitchell has a strong bond with Bam Adebayo, and Miami is reportedly trying to find another star on a similar timeline… pic.twitter.com/4BqIlKv88X

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 8, 2024

 

Pincus added that Mitchell has a strong bond with Bam Adebayo and that Miami is looking to find another star on a similar timeline as their All-Star center.

He also threw out the possibility of trading Jimmy Butler for assets that would then be used in a Mitchell trade.

There is a lot to unpack here.

Remember the last offseason when we heard this same thing about Damian Lillard, and he wound up with the Milwaukee Bucks?

Why is this information being shared the day after the Cavaliers lost Game 1 of their second-round playoff matchup with the Boston Celtics?

Is Miami really a better team next year with Mitchell instead of Butler?

Every small-market superstar gets rumored to New York, Miami, or Los Angeles at some point, and it rarely ever happens.