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What should the Miami Heat prioritize in the 2025 NBA Draft? (Photo Courtesy of the Miami Heat \/ @MiamiHEAT on Twitter)<\/p>\nWhat should the Miami Heat prioritize in the 2025 NBA Draft? (Photo Courtesy of the Miami Heat \/ @MiamiHEAT on Twitter)<\/p>\n
We are nearly two weeks away from the 2025 NBA Draft, where the Miami Heat own the No. 20 pick!<\/p>\n
Part of team-building is knowing what you\u2019re looking for. Self-scouting is important; you must know your strengths and weaknesses way better than any other team does. Knowing how to address those weaknesses is far easier said than done\u2013every team is trying to accomplish the same thing as you\u2013but a way that can be done is addressing them through the draft, should the opportunity present itself.<\/p>\n
The Heat\u2019s 20th overall selection will be their only pick of the two-day event, so what should they be prioritizing? While not all of these players fit into every category, below, I list a few traits in no particular order! Let\u2019s dive into it!<\/p>\n
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A Lead Guard:<\/p>\n
Outside of Isaiah Stevens, who played a whopping six minutes last season, the Heat have no lead guards. Tyler Herro acted as a de-facto point guard before Davion Mitchell arrived at the deadline, taking some burden of responsibility off his shoulders. I\u2019d prefer they invest<\/a> in Stevens long-term, but the Heat lack an organizer, a player who can set their best players up. Neither Herro nor Mitchell should be those options long-term. Miami\u2019s offense has been a bottom-third unit for the last three seasons, and one of the few things they\u2019ve missed was a consistent table setter.<\/p>\n Realistic prospects who fit that mold: Ben Saraf, Nolan Traore, Egor Demin, Jase Richardson<\/p>\n 3-Point Shooting:<\/p>\n The Heat ranked just outside the top-10 in 3-point rate and 3-point percentage a year ago. But you can never have enough shooting. Unfortunately for the point I made above, this class is littered with guards who can\u2019t shoot. There will still be shooters available at 20. And with the possibility<\/a> of the Heat moving off Duncan Robinson\u2019s partially guaranteed $19.9 million contract, spacing and movement shooting should be of its utmost priorities. <\/p>\n Realistic prospects who fit that mold: Richardson, Rasheer Fleming, Cedric Coward, Nique Clifford, Carter Bryant<\/p>\n Disruptive, Versatile Defenders:<\/p>\n The Miami Heat owning a top-10 defense last year was almost direct indictment on Bam Adebayo\u2019s impact. They weren\u2019t disruptive<\/a> enough. Davion Mitchell\u2019s point-of-attack defense was exceptional, though Haywood Highsmith wasn\u2019t as consistent and Pelle Larsson had moments. The Heat are devoid of consistently disruptive, versatile defenders to pair alongside Adebayo, one of the best defenders in the sport. <\/p>\n Realistic prospects who fit that mold: Fleming, Clifford, Bryant, Coward, Saraf, Asa Newell, Adou Thiero<\/p>\n A(nother) Backup Big?!?<\/p>\n I don\u2019t think the Heat will go big again at 20, unless it\u2019s clearly the best player available\u2013which, in theory, should be the idea anyway. However, here me out: Kevin Love will be 37-years-old in September and is your only backup big on the roster, now that Kel\u2019el Ware and Bam Adebayo will presumably start together next season. You can\u2019t expect Nikola Jovic, Keshad Johnson or Kyle Anderson to be your best options outside of Love. This year\u2019s free agency class for (backup) bigs this year is pretty porous. They need a contingency plan at some point.<\/p>\n Realistic prospects who fit that mold: Thomas Sorber, Danny Wolf, Asa Newell <\/p>\n What do you think the Heat should prioritize in this month\u2019s draft? Let us know in the comments!<\/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