The Miami Heat expressed interest in Donovan Mitchell before the four-time All-Star was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers last offseason, but a rumor this week claimed Mitchell had reservations about playing alongside Jimmy Butler. Mitchell says that was not the case.
Longtime Heat reporter Ethan J. Skolnick said on the “Hangover Time” postgame show Monday night that he heard Mitchell wanted to play with Bam Adebayo in Miami but was not keen on the idea of calling Butler a teammate.
On the HangoverTime Postgame Show last night, @EthanJSkolnick of @5ReasonsSports dropped a bomb about Donovan Mitchell not being too keen on playing with Jimmy
"Yes, he wanted to play with Bam, we heard that he was a little bit concerned about playing with Jimmy." pic.twitter.com/76EiMXVeqg
— Miami Heat Beat (We Just Cover The Team) (@miaheatbeat) March 14, 2023
“Yes, he wanted to play with Bam. We heard that he was a little bit concerned about playing with Jimmy,” Skolnick said. “So, that’s one of the reasons he didn’t ask to come to (Miami). He would have come here, but that’s why he didn’t go over the line and push for it.”
Mitchell responded on Twitter and essentially accused Skolnick (or Skolnick’s source) of fabricating the story.
We live in a world where you can just say anything and it just be true smh https://t.co/nb1sYKY41U
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) March 14, 2023
“We live in a world where you can just say anything and it just be true smh,” Mitchell wrote.
Butler is known for being a passionate player who demands perfection from teammates. Anyone who saw the way his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves ended knows that. It would not be a surprise if a fellow superstar had concerns about playing with him, which is why a lot of people find Skolnick’s report to be feasible.
Whatever the case, Mitchell seems to have made the right choice. He is averaging 27.6 points per game for a Cavaliers team that is comfortably in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The Heat may wind up in the play-in tournament, though they probably would have been a lot better with Mitchell.
