A Miami mock trade that excludes Donovan Mitchell

Almost every single offseason rumor has come back to the Utah Jazz and Donovan Mitchell. All eyes are on Utah as they field the best offers for their young star and head towards a rebuild. The Knicks, Wizards, and several other teams all want Mitchell, but he is not the only player the Jazz could part ways with.

The Miami Heat are an exciting trade partner. Like every other team in the NBA, they want to add shooters. A recent mock trade by Hardwood Knocks had Miami sending Duncan Robinson and 27th overall pick Nikola Jovic to Utah in exchange for veteran sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic.

If you compare Robinson and Bojan, this trade is very lopsided. Yes, Bogdanovic is five years Robinson’s senior, but Robinson is owed roughly $16 per year for four more seasons. Bogdanovic is a free agent after this season, so the Heat could save money in the long term. Plus, Bojan is just the better player.

Robinson shot worse from behind the arc, scored fewer points, dished fewer assists, and is a worse rebounder than Bogdanovic. Sure, Robinson has more talent around him so he gets fewer shots, but there’s no denying who is more productive.

The most intriguing part of this trade is Nikola Jovic. At 19 years old, he lit up the Adriatic League for 12 points, 5.5 rebounds, and shot 40% from deep. He’s a 20-year-old, do-all power forward with tremendous upside. He was projected to be drafted between 12-20 but fell all the way to Miami. He could very well be a chief component of the inevitable Utah rebuild, making this trade well worth it.

In the Summer League, he shot 5/7 from deep en route to a 25-point showing against the defending champs, and he’s already shown himself to be an inside-out player with a high basketball IQ.

If Miami comes calling and puts Jovic on the table for Bogdanovic, the Jazz should jump all over it. In fact, he should be heavily considered in any trade that would send Donovan Mitchell to Miami, as well.