He was mentioned in Raptors trade rumors, but compared to guys like Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, and Chris Boucher, it seemed like relentless defender Davion Mitchell would still be in Toronto past the February 6 deadline.
Adding to that, there was a pleasant surprise in the career of Mitchell, as Curry Brand announced he would be joining the label on an endorsement deal earlier this week.
But on the morning of trade deadline day, ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania would break the news on X:
The Toronto Raptors are trading Davion Mitchell to the Miami Heat for PJ Tucker, a second-round pick and cash, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/J9vBISwuh4
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2025
Mitchell's time on the Raptors just wasn't meant to be, and he now finds a new NBA home in the Miami Heat, where he seems to fit seemlessly as a prototypical "Heat Culture" guy. While he only spent half a season in Toronto, Mitchell established himself as a game-changing defensive force at times, acting selflessly as a teammate and stand-up roster member.
But he was due for a contract extension this summer, and he was quickly getting eclipsed by the growing improvements from rookie Jamal Shead, so it certainly made sense to move him. Even better for the Raptors, the haul of draft picks acquired in hindsight looks incredible, with Mitchell's tenure now coming to an end, and he warranted yet another second-rounder.
Raptors masterfully accumulate picks for expendable assets
If you can recall how Mitchell got to Toronto, in a crazy turn of events, the Raptors were able to dump a horrid asset in Jalen McDaniels for "Off-Night," Sasha Vezenkov (subsequently waived), a 2024 second-round pick (that turned into the stellar Jamal Shead), and a 2025 second-round pick via Portland (included in the Brandon Ingram transaction).
Now with a new vision in Toronto, spearheaded by the arrival of former All-Star Brandon Ingram, it just wasn't feasible for the Raptors to give out another lucrative deal to keep Mitchell in town. The haul might just be PJ Tucker (not likely to suit up for Toronto, a buyout candidate?) and a second-round pick, but it just goes to show the Raptors were still able to keep this butterfly effect of the Jalen McDaniels trade going.
Think about it: with Jamal Shead's emergence in the last month, he already looks like the primary steal of this transaction, and he was that first-acquired second-round pick. Who knows what gem the Raptors could hit on with this new second-round pick?
Even if they miss, it's just a whirlwind of draft picks coming and going, as the Raptors also gave up their Pacers first-rounder and Blazers second-rounder in the Brandon Ingram deal. The afternoon is not over, too, and Toronto could be planning to keep exploring trades with their newly acquired assets until the 3 p.m. ET deadline passes.