The Miami Heat bolstered a championship-contending roster by trading for the prolific Louisville shooter, adding a defensive disruptor with elite range to space the floor.
MIAMI, Fla. – Although the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade hasn’t officially been processed through the league office, the Miami Heat won’t sign a first-round rookie for the first time since 2021. The No. 13 pick was used to select Tennessee’s All-Southeastern Conference forward Nate Ament, who is heading to the Milwaukee Bucks. He averaged 16.7 points on 39.9 percent shooting, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and a steal – while starting in all 35 games for the Volunteers as a freshman.
Instead, the organization did its real NBA Draft work for the second round on Wednesday night. The Heat had the 41st pick, but used it and cash consideration to complete a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder to acquire Louisville guard Ryan Conwell – the No. 37 pick. He previously made stops in South Florida, Indiana, and Xavier before landing with the Cardinals program.
After one season, Conwell averaged 18.8 points (seventh-highest among Atlantic Coast Conference players) on 40.8 percent shooting, 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 steals – while starting in 34 games. Antetokounmpo joining the Heat made it a priority to add shooters around him and three-time All-Star Bam Adebayo. Conwell shot a collegiate career 37.6 percent from behind the arc – 34.5 percent with the Cardinals on 3.3 makes and 9.6 attempts averages (eighth-best in the ACC).
The 22-year-old earned All-Conference honors at each destination, except American Athletic with the Bulls.
Conwell is a proven three-level scorer who led the ACC and tied for 12th nationally with 112 total three-pointers made this past college basketball season.
Although the stats and highlights are impressive, the Heat prioritize defense above all else. Conwell is still a great fit – a disruptor in the passing lanes with a 6-7 wingspan. Along with that, he’s 6-2 (barefoot), weighs 214.8 pounds, and has a max vertical leap of 39.5.
The Heat have a ready-now rookie who can provide bench production and spacing. Despite having a relatively short backcourt with him and veteran Davion Mitchell – Adebayo, Antetokounmpo, and Bobby Portis (who is part of the trade) make up for the lack of size.
Conwell joins a championship-contending situation. He will certainly go through NBA rookie growing pains – similar to Kel’el Ware, Nikola Jovic, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. being the latest examples – but the margin for error will be thin.
As a second-round pick, the Heat can sign Conwell to a two-year minimum contract. The Antetokounmpo trade will impact the organization’s finances, but it will be interesting to learn how much ahead of July’s Summer League.
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Anthony Aguirre is the Miami Heat beat writer for Roundtable Sports. Contact info: [email protected] | 305-987-3290 | Follow on Instagram/X: @AnthonyA_Sports
