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.

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.

Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook HERE

Subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE

The Miami Dolphins’ 2024 NFL regular season schedule was officially released Wednesday. Fans already knew who the opponents were — now they know the dates and times of the contests.

Miami will open the season at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The matchup pits quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Trevor Lawrence against each other for the second time since they first met in the 2019 CFB National Championship game between Alabama and Clemson. Lawrence’s Tigers won the contest.

The last time the two met was in 2021 when Lawrence helped Jacksonville pull out a 23-20 last-second victory.

Miami plays division rival Buffalo in the comfort of Hard Rock Stadium in a Week 2 Thursday Night Football matchup on Sept. 12. It will be the first of five prime-time games that include a home Monday Night Football matchup against Tennessee on Sept. 30, a trip to Los Angeles for Monday Night Football against the Rams on Nov. 11, a Thanksgiving Thursday Night Football matchup in Green Bay Nov. 28, and Sunday Night Football in Cleveland on Dec. 29.

The Dolphins will be well-traveled in 2024 — with nine road games and trips out west to Los Angeles and Seattle, the Dolphins will cover 25,869 miles. Miami will travel to Indianapolis, Houston, Cleveland, and Green Bay as well, among others.

A notable game on the schedule is the return game for former defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, who will be coming to Miami with the Las Vegas Raiders on No. 17.

Overall, the Dolphins will play seven games against six different playoff teams from the 2023 season, including four against division champions from a year ago. Five of those seven contests will be played on the road as the AFC plays nine road games in even years.

The Dolphins have a Week 6 bye week and seven road trip afterward, including right out of the bye, when they go to Indianapolis Week 7.

The Dolphins will face the New York Jets twice in the final five weeks, including the season finale at MetLife Stadium on either Jan. 4 or 5.

Sept. 8, Jacksonville at Miami, 1 p.m.

Sept. 12, Buffalo at Miami, 8:15 p.m. (Thursday night)

Sept. 22, Miami at Seattle, 4:05 p.m.

Sept. 30, Tennessee at Miami, 7:30 p.m. (Monday night)

Oct. 6, Miami at New England, 1 p.m.

Oct. 13, Bye week

Oct. 20, Miami at Indianapolis, 1 p.m.

Oct. 27, Arizona at Miami, 1 p.m.

Nov. 3, Miami at Buffalo, 1 p.m.

Nov. 11, Miami at L.A. Rams, 8:15 p.m. (Monday night)

Nov. 17, Las Vegas at Miami, 1 p.m.

Nov. 24, New England at Miami, 1 p.m.

Nov. 28, Miami at Green Bay, 8:20 p.m. (Thursday night, Thanksgiving)

Dec. 8, N.Y. Jets at Miami, 1 p.m.

Dec. 15, Miami at Houston, 1 p.m.

Dec. 22, San Fransisco at Miami, 4:25 p.m.

Dec. 29, Miami at Cleveland, 8:20 p.m. (Sunday night)

Jan. 4 or 5, Miami at N.Y. Jets, TBD

GREEN BAY — The Green Bay Packers will host the Miami Dolphins at Lambeau Field on Thanksgiving night on TMJ4, according to reports.

The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman reported the news on X.

Last season, the Dolphins finished 11-6 and lost in the Wild Card Round against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Packers finished 9-8, defeating the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Round before narrowly losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round.

The full 2024-2025 NFL schedule will be revealed at 7 p.m. CT Wednesday on NFL Network and ESPN 2.

It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.

Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.

Report a typo or error