With the recent ups-and-downs of the Miami Heat, their upcoming first-round draft selection could be expected to sit inside the lottery. This draft class is expected by experts to be one of the deepest in recent memory. After the conclusion of the NCAA tournament earlier this week, there are multiple players officially declaring for the NBA draft.
Bleacher Report released their updated first-round mock draft after the conclusion of the NCAA tournament. In their projection, Miami holds the No. 13 selection, just inside the lottery, and selects Alabama Crimson Tide guard Labaron Philon Jr.
"The Heat are forever in need of scoring help," the article wrote. "That demand could grow more urgent this offseason, depending on how they handle Norman Powell's free agency and Tyler Herro's extension talks. Philon would immediately supply creation and shot-making and provide some insurance in case last year's first-round pick, Kasparas Jakučionis, underwhelms with his development. Philon more than doubled his point production as a sophomore. While a role expansion explains some of that spike, so too do dramatically improved shooting rates. He is a limited athlete, but he's shifty off the dribble, smooth with long-range looks and in-between floaters while steadily piloting an offense."
Philon led the Crimson Tide to a strong season. Alabama finished the regular season inside the AP Top 25 rankings at No. 18 with a 23-9 record before clawing their way to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. The guard averaged 22 points, 3.5 rebounds and five assists while shooting 50.1 percent from the field and 39.9 percent from three-point range. Philon was viewed as a four-star recruit in the class of 2024 ESPN recruitment rankings. He was the No. 32 ranked prospect in the nation.
Philon averaged the 12th most points in the nation as a sophomore. Last year, he helped lead the Crimson Tide to the Elite Eight as a No. 2 seed. The Heat have had plenty of issues in the backcourt over the past couple of seasons. The Terry Rozier situation obviously did not work out in Miami's favor although the team has had success from Herro and recent acquisition Norman Powell. However, Powell is on an expiring contract and Herro has been included in trade rumors so Philon would seemingly have an immediate role if drafted by Miami.
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