The Miami Heat are slotted to get the No. 13 pick in the NBA draft if odds go according to plan
The Miami Heat are holding out hope on moving up in the NBA Draft.
They have a one percent chance of winning the No. 1 pick and 4.8 percent of getting one of the first four picks. But if everything goes according to plan, the Heat are expected to get the No. 13 pick. The lottery is today at 3 p.m.
In his mock draft, ESPN analyst Jeremy Woo has the Heat taking Alabama Crimson Tide star point guard Labaron Philon. Last season he averaged 22 points, five assists and 3.5 rebounds, leading them to a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Here was Woo's assessment of the pick: "Philon put together an outstanding sophomore season at Alabama and is set to draw looks in the late lottery this year after withdrawing from the draft at the final hour a year ago. While he's more of a microwave scorer than a pure point guard, his ability to generate clean looks off the dribble and solid positional size are real separators. The Heat missed the playoffs, losing in the play-in round, and haven't picked in the lottery since drafting Tyler Herro in 2019. They could benefit from adding another shot creator to their backcourt group, with Philon capable of propping up the offense for stretches."
Woo also broke down what the Heat could do if they are lucky enough to move up in the lottery. He wrote: "Even with the lottery reform, Miami has historically been tank-averse and figures to explore options to improve the team. Whether that means trying to acquire a star such as Giannis Antetokounmpo in a trade or simply positioning itself to have cap space and be a player in what could be a starry free agent class in 2027, which Pat Riley went on record saying to reporters last week. Assuming the Heat's pick doesn't jump into the top four, how Miami -- a team that has traditionally had success in free agency -- squares those goals will be interesting to watch. The Heat owe their 2027 first-rounder to Charlotte with top-14 protections, which becomes unprotected in 2028 if not already conveyed."
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Shandel Richardson is the publisher of HeatRoundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com