Raptors may have regret with trade

The Toronto Raptors are seeing a former player of theirs thrive with another team.

Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black tries to dribble around Toronto Raptors guard Ja'Kobe Walter. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors are a team that has done a lot of right in the last 12 months, but they haven't been perfect.

The Raptors traded Davion Mitchell to the Miami Heat as part of the Jimmy Butler blockbuster that sent him to the Golden State Warriors. Bleacher Report writer Zach Buckley believes the Raptors may have regretted sending Mitchell to the Heat.

"Be honest: How many of you actually noticed that last season's five-team trade that sent Jimmy Butler to Golden State included Toronto routing Davion Mitchell to Miami? If you snoozed through that part of the swap, no one would've blamed you. Mitchell was barely clinging to afterthought status, having failed to show any discernible growth on the offensive end," Buckley wrote.

"But maybe the Raptors just didn't wait long enough. That or their coaching staff just failed to crack his developmental code.

"Either way, he looked like a different player from the second he hit South Beach, finally pairing his trademark defense with prolific playmaking and reliable perimeter shooting. He was great down the stretch and has fared even better this season, shooting 48.3 percent overall and 37.2 percent from distance while piling up 7.4 assists against just 1.5 turnovers."

Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell dribbles the ball down the court against the Atlanta Hawks. | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Mitchell trade could bite Raptors down the line

Throughout his tenure with the Heat, Mitchell is averaging 9.8 points and 6.4 assists per game while helping Miami to a potential playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Mitchell is proving to be one of the best rising guards in the league with the Heat, but that doesn't necessarily mean the Raptors should be disappointed in their part of the trade.

Trading Mitchell has given the Raptors a chance to give Jamal Shead more minutes in the rotation. Shead has seen an incredible jump from his rookie season to now, and he is a big reason why the Raptors have had one of the best bench units in the league.

This isn't to say the Raptors would have not had a great bench if it was Mitchell instead of Shead, but the team is figuring things out with their 2024 second-round pick.

In the meantime, the Raptors are facing off against the Denver Nuggets, who are struggling without Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cam Johnson. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. Inside Scotiabank Arena, fans can watch the game on TSN Sports or stream it on NBA League Pass.