Davion Mitchell left Heat impressed this season. So what’s next for Mitchell?
If there was any question about what the Miami Heat thinks about guard Davion Mitchell, Heat president Pat Riley answered it.
“Davion Mitchell, give me that guy any day of the week,” Riley said last month during his season-ending news conference. “If you made him 6-10, he’s All-NBA. He’s a great defender, he’s a high-character guy. He’s competitive, what a battler.”
Mitchell stands just 6 feet and received no All-NBA votes, but he still continued to leave a strong impression on Heat coaches and executives this past season.
As the Heat’s starting point guard, Mitchell averaged 9.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 6.5 assists and one steal per game while shooting 49% from the field and 39.5% from three-point range in his first full season with the team after being traded to Miami as part of the Jimmy Butler trade in February 2025.
“I think obviously coming out of college, I feel like I was always a point guard,” said Mitchell, who was drafted by the Sacramento Kings with the No. 9 overall pick in 2021. “And when I got thrown into Sacramento, having two point guards [De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton], kind of learning from them, I wasn’t really the point guard on the team. I was kind of just a guy that would just give energy. That’s how I didn’t really get to play my position.
“But playing here, obviously, this year, I got to kind of just be a point guard, get to kind of be a leader, get the team going, get our pace up. Just kind of being that type of guy. I think I learned that over the years of probably being in Sacramento, watching Tyrese, watching De’Aaron, obviously those guys.”
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Mitchell posted an excellent assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.2 this past season. Among the 179 players around the NBA who played in at least 65 games this regular season, Mitchell finished with the fourth-best assist-to-turnover ratio while serving as one of the engines of the Heat’s fast-paced offensive attack.
“I just try to make the right play every time,” Mitchell, 27, said. “Also, I don’t do well if I turn the ball over. If I turn the ball over, I know what I need to work on. I know what I need to do next time. But for me, I just try to make the right play. Shout out to the coaches because they made it so easy for me just to be myself that I didn’t have to think too much. I can just go out there and just play.”
But Mitchell, who has earned the nickname “Off Night” for his ability to shut down the opponent’s top scorers, wasn’t satisfied with his play on defense end this season.
“I feel like last year I was more disruptive than I was this year,” Mitchell said. “I think a lot of times it also comes with the pace that we’re playing at. I got to know going into the summer, I got to get more in shape. Because you can’t play on one of the fastest teams and also try to be a good defender if you’re not in shape. It’s just not going to work.”
So one of Mitchell’s goals this offseason is to get in better shape to maintain his high-level defensive play while also helping run the Heat’s fast-paced offense.
“Going into the summer, that’s how I got to know things I need to work on,” Mitchell said. “Kind of just get more in shape. Kind of just be able to still be a disruptive defensive player, but also be able to pick up the pace when I need to.”
Mitchell is already locked into a $12.4 million salary with the Heat for next season, but there’s plenty of uncertainty surrounding the Heat’s roster. The Heat is expected to be among the most aggressive teams in pursuit of Milwaukee Bucks two-time NBA MVP and nine-time All-NBA forward Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason.
But one thing is for sure: The Heat values Mitchell and his skill set.
“He’s been one of our most important guys that’s kind of been under the radar,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “There’s been a lot of big factors to us winning versus losing. But in the games that he missed, it definitely changed the look of how we play. I just think he’s an elite on-ball defender. And he’s fully embracing everything in our system. So it’s giving him an opportunity to be seen in this league as a competitor.
“And that’s not even talking about his offense. He’s in many ways the engine of when we run, and we’re at our best and in our pace. Oftentimes it’s him, the one that’s igniting it and pitching the ball ahead.”
