The Miami Heat may do everything in their power to acquire Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell after missing out on Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal in recent years.
Mitchell and the Cavs were eliminated from the postseason on Wednesday, marking a second straight early playoff exit. Most believe Mitchell, 27, is the sole reason Cleveland made it past the first round. The lack of support when it matters most could lead to him refusing to extend his contract past the 2026 season.
“I think if Donovan chose not to extend, he would be able to kind of direct the trade a little bit because of the one year on his contract,” analyst Brian Windhorst said on an episode of ESPN’s Get Up. “The Miami Heat have been star hunting for a year now. They’re always star hunting. They have some players on their roster who would potentially be interesting to Cleveland, but not as deep in draft picks as others.”
Mitchell’s player option for the 2026 season is likely insignificant because he will either switch teams or extend his contract prior. The Heat should think twice before going all-in for the five-time All-Star due to the lack of success of front-loaded rosters. The Phoenix Suns Big Three had championship expectations this season but were swept in the first round, leaving their future in jeopardy.
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There’s no doubt Mitchell is one of the league’s top shooting guards, averaging 26.6 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.1 rebounds on 46.2 percent shooting in 55 games last season. Tyler Herro, a young player (Jaime Jaquez Jr. or Nikola Jovic), and draft capital are a sufficient package, but holding onto depth is arguably more important for a team that has reached the NBA Finals twice since 2020.
Anthony Pasciolla works as a contributing writer to Inside the Heat. He can be reached at ampasciolla@gmail.com or follow him on Instagram @anthony.pasciolla.
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Two men from Germany were arrested after police said they were caught on surveillance video defacing a bench with antisemitic graffiti in Miami Beach.
Authorities said it happened Monday at around 5:34 p.m., when Miami Beach police officers responded to the area of 12th Street and Ocean Drive.
Police said officers found writing including a swastika and the words “Adolf Was Here” on an LGBTQIA+ bench located within Lummus Park.
Using surveillance video from city cameras, police were able to track down the two men involved.
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MIAMI BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT
MIAMI BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT
Two men from Germany were arrested after police said they were caught on surveillance video defacing a bench with antisemitic graffiti in Miami Beach.
According to arrest reports, the footage shows how 58-year-old Christoph Rehak asked one of his friends for a marker, then he and 63-year-old Gunther Jekschtat sat on the bench next to each other.
“Mr. Rehak began to write on the bench while Mr. Jekschtat blocked him with his body so he could not be seen,” an arrest report states.
All of the men then left the area before they were tracked down to the Colony Hotel. Police saw them leaving and “quickly detained them.”
The group was taken to the Miami Beach Police Station to be interviewed, where Rehak allegedly confessed and said he wrote on the bench “as a joke.” He also allowed police to view his phone, where photos of the graffiti were found, police said.
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Jekschtat, meanwhile, allegedly confessed to being aware that Rehak had written the antisemitic graffiti and purposely blocked him “to defend his friend,” according to an arrest report.
“He also apologized for lying” and “explained to the officers that he did not known why Mr. Rehak wrote that specific remark he believed he did it as a joke,” the report states.
In Florida, crimes are subject to increased penalties if there’s evidence of certain prejudice. These are known as hate crimes.
“Upon being further interviewed, Mr. Rehak did not show intent of the remark as being a hate crime,” an arrest report states. Further details were not immediately available.
Rehak and Jekschtat were arrested and charged with criminal mischief of more than $200 and less than $1,000.
The Miami Hurricanes have become a pain for the Oregon Ducks on the recruiting trail as of late. Former Oregon coach Mario Cristobal’s Hurricanes have stolen another recruit from Dan Lanning’s Ducks as both teams enter the 2026 college football season as national championship contenders.
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2027 four-star cornerback Ai’King Hall, originally a Ducks commit, flipped his commitment to Miami on Sunday afternoon. Hall is rated as the No. 73 overall player nationally and the No. 9-ranked cornerback, per 247Sports. Hall was committed to the Ducks since April 6 before flipping his commitment to the Hurricanes.
Oregon Ducks’ Other Recruiting Losses to Miami Hurricanes
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Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal before the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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In addition to flipping Hall, Miami also poached former Georgia five-star cornerback Donte Wright, whom the Ducks were pushing hard to flip. Wright committed to Miami over Oregon on May 9 and is a big loss for the Ducks, even more so than Hall, as he is among the top-ranked players in the 2027 recruiting class.
Per 247Sports, Wright is ranked as the No. 9 overall player nationally in the 2027 class and No. 1 in California. Wright is expected to be a key contributor on defense and for Cristobal’s effort to lead Miami to their first national championship since 2001.
This past season, the Hurricanes fell 27-21 to the Indiana Hoosiers in the national championship. Despite the loss, Miami is expected to be one of the top college football contenders in the future, along with Oregon.
While this pair of recruits won’t arrive in South Beach until the 2027 season, Miami and Oregon could very well face off in this year’s national championship at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Impact of the Oregon Ducks Losing Ai’King Hall and Donte Wright
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field during the Oregon Ducks annual spring game on April 25, 2026 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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With the losses of both Hall and Wright from Oregon’s 2027 recruiting class, the Ducks now have one cornerback commit for the 2027 cycle, four-star cornerback Josiah Molden, a native of nearby West Linn, Oregon.
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Molden has the potential to be a top future talent for the Ducks’ secondary as he is ranked the No. 27 overall cornerback and the No. 1 player in Oregon, per 247Sports. Following the two losses, Oregon’s 2027 recruiting ranking remains inside the top 10, despite Lanning not having a five-star commit for the cycle.
Having both Hall and Wright in Oregon’s secondary would’ve been massive for Oregon’s defense, but for now, Lanning will have to work with what he has, while continuing to pursue other top recruits.
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Oregon Ducks’ Current 2027 Recruiting Class Ranking
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning attends Oregon Pro Day on March 17, 2026, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
With the loss of Hall, Oregon’s 2027 recruiting ranking dropped slightly to No. 10 overall, per On3 and 247Sports. Before Hall decided to flip his commitment to Miami, the Ducks’ 2027 recruiting ranking was No. 9 overall, per On3 and No. 7 per 247Sports.
Despite the losses, there is still plenty of time for Oregon to improve its 2027 recruiting class ranking, the main focus for the Ducks as of now, with the return of star quarterback Dante Moore, is winning the team’s first national championship in program history.
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This is an accomplishment that Oregon fans are desperate for, as Lanning has made an all-out effort for the Ducks to achieve that goal as they enter what some see as a national championship or bust 2026 season.
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