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The Miami Heat own one pick (No. 20 overall) in the 2025 NBA Draft. (Mandatory Credit: Johnnie Izquierdo\/Getty Images)<\/p>\nThe Miami Heat own one pick (No. 20 overall) in the 2025 NBA Draft. (Mandatory Credit: Johnnie Izquierdo\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
The time has come! The 2025 NBA Draft is here! The Miami Heat only own the No. 20 pick across the two-day event, so who do experts have them picking as the time ticks away?! Let\u2019s dive into it!<\/p>\n
ESPN (Jonathan Givony, Jeremy Woo):<\/a><\/p>\n Liam McNeeley, F, UConn<\/p>\n \u201cMcNeeley has drawn positive feedback on the workout circuit, where he reminded teams of his all-around offensive ability coming off a tricky season that was hampered by an ankle injury. He has interest all over the back half of the first round, including the Nets, Heat, and Jazz in this range. <\/p>\n Miami is perennially among the toughest teams for rival organizations, as well as player agents, to get a read on, with a tight-lipped approach to how it conducts its predraft process.\u00a0Walter Clayton Jr. is another player who has frequently been tied to this spot.\u201d<\/p>\n The Athletic (Sam Vecenie):<\/a><\/p>\n Walter Clayton Jr., G, Florida<\/p>\n \u201cClayton was the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 18 points and four assists this year while shooting 45 percent from the field, 39 percent from 3 and 88 percent from the line. His shot making is truly special. He can get to his shot from any footwork or any angle on the court, especially from distance. He\u2019s comfortable using a change-of-pace dribble to get to a stepback and can also attack and drive off that to score around the rim.<\/p>\n The questions are twofold. First, his ball-screen reads weren\u2019t always on point. He was terrific against Houston in the championship game, but the picture often looked cloudy with his decision-making. Then, on defense, is he too far in-between positions? He got better as a senior but wasn\u2019t always reliable throughout his college career. That\u2019s concerning for an older, undersized player. Still, teams love Clayton\u2019s toughness, and I would expect to hear his name called in the first round.<\/p>\n A few sources have mentioned that Clayton has been hard to get in for a workout recently and may have a situation that he feels comfortable with. This would make a ton of sense.<\/p>\n The three names I\u2019ve heard most associated with Miami to this stage are Newell, Liam McNeeley and Clayton.\u201d<\/p>\n The Ringer (J.<\/a> Kyle Mann):<\/a><\/p>\n Walter Clayton Jr., G, Florida<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been very quiet in terms of who the Heat might be targeting here, which is suspicious when you pair that silence with the reports that they (yet again) have superstar acquisition on the brain. That said, they\u2019ve had some real success recently picking in the mid-to-late teens, with a pattern of properly valuing players who were misunderstood by previous context\u2014Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and now Kel\u2019el Ware. There aren\u2019t as many clear candidates for continuing that streak at this point in the draft, so bringing in someone who could give them a scoring and facilitating jolt on offense feels like the move. Clayton attempted more 3s with a live dribble this past season than he did playing off the catch, but he did both\u00a0really\u00a0well. It wouldn\u2019t shock me if he helped them right out of the gate.\u201d<\/p>\n CBS Sports (Kyle Boone):<\/a><\/p>\n Walter Clayton Jr., G, Florida<\/p>\n \u201cFew teams have as much up-close exposure to Clayton Jr., a Florida native who played at Florida the last two seasons and led the team to the national title this spring. He\u2019s a dynamic shot-maker who can add versatility scoring on dribble jumpers and could elevate Miami\u2019s backcourt.\u201d<\/p>\n Yahoo Sports (Kevin O\u2019Connor):<\/a><\/p>\n Jase Richardson, G, Michigan State<\/p>\n \u201cRichardson is a skilled combo guard with a lethal midrange game and a poised pick-and-roll feel, looking like he downloaded the experience of his NBA veteran father, Jason Richardson. Jase didn\u2019t inherit his father\u2019s height or dunk contest athleticism, though, so his smaller stature could cap his upside. Tyler Herro and Richardson could share creation responsibilities in the Miami backcourt, and Bam Adebayo would have another two-man-game partner to work with.\u201d<\/p>\n No Ceilings:<\/a><\/p>\n Rasheer Fleming, F, St. Joseph\u2019s<\/p>\n \u201cThe Miami Heat continue to build on their defensive identity by picking up Rasheer Fleming here at #20. Fleming\u2019s ridiculous measurements (6\u20198.25\u201d barefoot with a double-take inducing 7\u20195.25\u201d wingspan) only serve to magnify his incredible defensive playmaking (a 2.6% Steal Percentage and a 4.9% Block Percentage) and his shooting (39.0% from three-point range on a healthy 4.5 attempts per game). His breakout as a shooter this year might not be entirely sustainable, but his steady improvement over the course of his college career indicates that he\u2019s moving in the right direction as a shooter. His defensive fit as a space-eating, floor-spacing stretch-four alongside either Bam Adebayo or Kel\u2019el Ware is just too enticing for the Heat to pass on here.\u201d<\/p>\n NBC Sports (Raphielle Johnson, Kurt Helin, Noah Rubin)<\/a>:<\/p>\n Liam McNeeley, F, UConn<\/p>\n \u201cThe Heat struck out in the\u00a0Kevin Durant\u00a0sweepstakes. Unless another superstar talent were to become available this summer, they\u2019re likely going to have to exercise some patience with their post-Jimmy\u00a0Butler\u00a0rebuild. While hampered for much of Big East play by an ankle injury, McNeeley is a very good shooter who can also serve as a playmaker at times. And he\u2019s coming from a winning program, which should aid in his assimilation in Miami. Ask Heat assistant Caron Butler, who also plied his trade at UConn before enjoying a lengthy NBA career.\u201d<\/p>\n Bleacher Report (Jonathan Wasse<\/a>rman):<\/a><\/p>\n Walter Clayton Jr., G, Florida<\/p>\n \u201cScouts aren\u2019t confident that Walter Clayton Jr. will still be around in the 20s. His shotmaking, toughness and winning pedigree have teams looking past the size and athletic questions. He\u2019ll be viewed as the type of guard who can play minutes and provide instant offense as a rookie.\u201d<\/p>\n Fox Sports (Jason McIntyre):<\/a><\/p>\n Nique Clifford, G, Colorado State<\/p>\n \u201cHe feels like a Villanova player \u2014 a heart and hustle guy with a relentless motor. Feels like a Josh Hart-type wing, but Clifford did almost double his 3-point output over the last two years. He\u2019s 23.\u201d<\/p>\n ************************<\/p>\n While the Heat are never shy of picking someone we don\u2019t expect, there has been a ton of buzz<\/a> surrounding the Heat drafting Walter Clayton Jr. over the next 24-48 hours. They only worked out a handful of potential first-round prospects\u2013with Clayton being one of them, reportedly on multiple occasions. <\/p>\n We won\u2019t know until we know. There are multiple experienced prospects that I would prioritize, specifically for the Heat, ahead of Clayton Jr. due to his size (or lack thereof) and potential fit next to Tyler Herro Defensively. <\/p>\n Who do you think Miami should draft, and who do you want them to draft? Let us know in the comments below!<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n To check out our other content, click\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Twitter\/X\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Instagram\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n Subscribe to our YouTube channel\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n \t\t\t