![\"Miami](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_9645.jpeg\")
(Mandatory Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net)<\/p>\n(Mandatory Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net)<\/p>\n
We are two weeks away from the 2025 NBA Draft, where the Miami Heat own the No. 20 pick, their only selection of the two-day event. We won\u2019t know until we know, but a lot of options could be presented to the Heat come draft night. <\/p>\n
On Tuesday, while you and I both aren\u2019t in the draft room conducting in-person workouts or interviews, we examined a few qualities<\/a> that the Heat should prioritize when it comes to drafting their player as June 25 arrives. However, a pair of international prospects, who could potentially fill one of their biggest needs, could be a good fit for them heading into next season and beyond.<\/p>\n Ben Saraf and Nolan Traore both fit Heat\u2019s need for a lead guard:<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t list them in any particular order, but one of Miami\u2019s priorities this offseason should be addressing its lack of a lead guard. I love Isaiah Stevens as much as anyone, but he only saw six total minutes last season, and the Heat don\u2019t have any conceivable answer after that. <\/p>\n Tyler Herro and Davion Mitchell were both the Heat\u2019s two de facto point guards last season. But while both are improved playmakers, neither is a lead guard. <\/p>\n Saraf and Traore, two of the best point guards in this class, could help it fill that need.<\/p>\n Saraf, who turned 19 in April, averaged 12.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists on 45.3 percent shooting and 53.5 percent true shooting in 54 combined games this season. <\/p>\n Saraf\u2019s team, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany), is still in the midst of their season, as they are in the semifinal round of the German League playoffs. <\/p>\n If Saraf\u2019s team wins Thursday\u2019s game, they will advance to the championship round against FC Bayern Munich in a best-of-five series that may not conclude until June 26, the second day of the 2025 NBA Draft. This could also affect forward Noa Essengue, who\u2019s also a projected<\/p>\n Traore, who turned 19 in May, averaged 12.2 points and 4.7 assists on 41.0 percent shooting and 51.2 percent true shooting with Saint-Quentin of the LNB Elite (France). Traore\u2019s season is already wrapped up.<\/p>\n The French guard is arguably the best passer of the 2025 NBA Draft class. At 6-foot-3 (barefoot), Troare can make advanced reads out of the pick-and-roll. He did a good job manipulating back-line defenses throughout the season, capable of making skip passes to the corner and fooling tag defenders in the roll. He didn\u2019t shoot the ball well, but he has a quick first step and plays with pace both in the halfcourt and in transition. He\u2019s arguably the closest thing to a sure-fire pure point guard in this class, though his skinny 175-pound frame does draw some concerns.<\/p>\n At 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-7.5-inch (unofficial) wingspan, Saraf has more poisitonal size than his counterpart. He\u2019s not as skilled with his playmaking, but he still has great court vision\u2013especially when he\u2019s treading downhill\u2013plus he possesses a slicker handle with more three-level scoring upside. Saraf has shot below 30.0 percent, but he was far more efficient off the catch than as a pull-up jump shooter, where he has serious room to grow. <\/p>\n The Israeli was also more physical defensively than Traore at the point-of-attack and was more disruptive, even though he still has plenty of strides to make both on- and off-the-ball.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, either would be a keen option for a lead guard at No. 20. Neither may make it to 20, but you\u2019d be hard-pressed to find two better options for the Heat at that spot if you\u2019re aiming to find the point guard of the future, even though both will need to clean up their shooting and point-of-attack defense.<\/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