MIAMI — Damian Lillard. Damian Lillard. Damian Lillard. Damian Lillard. Damian Lillard.

(Wait, get me a rewrite.)

Donovan Mitchell. Donovan Mitchell. Donovan Mitchell. Donovan Mitchell. Donovan Mitchell.

(Because, yes, here we go again.)

There was a point, what now seems like decades ago (because it actually was), when the biggest of the biggest for the Miami Heat, the deals that actually happened, arrived as stunning revelations.

“Alonzo Mourning is coming ... here?” (On the eve of Pat Riley’s first Heat season, no less.)

“They just traded the entire team for Tim Hardaway?” (In the middle of a season, no less.)

“The Heat are getting Shaq?” (Some on the Heat coaching staff had no idea.)

“LeBron told Jim Gray what?” (Dwyane Wade to this day insists he, too, did not know.)

Now, of course, it is different. NBA “insiders” start at the point of conjecture and speculation, so as not to be left behind. Social media can make anyone one of those NBA “insiders.” Basically, it has become a Woj-eats-Shams world, with enough nuance to the debate shows to cast opinion as fact.

So what do we know at the moment of the chances of Donovan Mitchell becoming this summer’s Damian Lillard for the Heat?

We know the Heat will always circle a potentially available star, less concerned about perceptions of failure than of opportunity otherwise lost. Riley said as much in his recent season-ending comments.

“There’s no doubt we would go for it,” Riley said earlier this month when asked about another offseason star search. “We’ve always been that way.”

As they were last summer, when Lillard made it clear he wanted out of Portland and (a bit too clearly) that he wanted to go to Miami.

For weeks, months, the Lillard link to the Heat was real, even as Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin refused to take the Heat’s calls.

Then the Bucks jumped in, Lillard was relocated. And the Heat patiently waited for the next big thing.

Mitchell potentially is the next big thing.

No, no Lillard-like get-me-out-of-here ultimatum.

And, yes, potentially more amenable to simply first getting his money locked in on an extension with the Cavaliers and then considering, if desired, new vistas.

But for as much sense as Lillard, at 33, made last summer for the Heat, even more so does Mitchell, at 27. As it is, the Heat made a play for Mitchell before he was dealt from Utah to Cleveland two years ago.

Of course, the Heat getting the volume scorer they need does not necessarily mean Mitchell pushing to be the volume scorer the Heat want, nor does it mean the Cavaliers acquiescing to such a scenario (with it still very early in that stage of the game, and with a Riley-Dan Gilbert history far more complex than Riley-Cronin).

But with Mitchell on the clock with his contract, eligible to opt out in the 2025 offseason, there is far more of a hammer available to dictate destination. (With lessons learned from Lillard’s camp about how not to publicly dictate desired destination.)

As for the notion of the Heat lacking the draft capital to compete against the assets of the Knicks or Nets, consider that the Cavaliers, with Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, are in win-now mode, with homecourt in each of the past two postseasons.

From that standpoint, the Heat have assets ready to go (Tyler Herro, Terry Rozier, Duncan Robinson, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, and enough draft capital to compete in that regard, as well).

In addition, with the dramatic changes in the new collective-bargaining agreement, Cleveland waiting for next season’s February trade deadline to consider a Mitchell move ultimately could prove dramatically limiting, with new rules going into effect limiting what teams can take back in trades (first apron) or even removing the ability to aggregate contracts (second apron) to match Mitchell’s $35 million salary.

Yes, the Heat getting themselves linked to a Mitchell pursuit could further extend the narrative of coming up short in another chase (think Kevin Durant 1.0, Kevin Durant 2.0, Kevin Durant 3.0).

But after such a public chase of Lillard last summer, how could the Heat not do their due diligence if there is even an iota of Mitchell shaking free? Remember, Lillard targeted the Heat because of his friendship with Bam Adebayo. Also consider, Mitchell has made a point of playing in the Miami Pro League in the summer alongside his friend Adebayo.

With Lillard, the Damian daily news began in earnest in late June, in the wake of what became a public trade push. With Mitchell, we stand six weeks ahead of that schedule.

So, for now, it is clear what comes next.

Trigger the Search and the Replace keys. For every “Damian Lillard” a year ago sub in a “Donovan Mitchell.”

In that regard, consider this an offseason of wash, rinse, repeat.

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