The Miami Heat's up-and-down season will presumably net them a first round pick just outside the lottery. This draft is expected to have one of the most stacked draft classes in terms of depth. Players such as Darryn Peterson, A.J. Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson are being viewed as generational talents. They are expected to be picked inside the top five draft selections but the surrounding draft class is still making some real noise.
Bleacher Report released their updated two-round mock draft. In their projection, Miami holds the No. 16 selection, just outside the lottery and select Connecticut Huskies guard Braylon Mullins. The 19-year-old's pro comparison is Indiana Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith, a 2020 first-round pick who took some time to find his footing but was a big part of the Indiana's Eastern Conference title last season.
"Braylon Mullins' usage and shots vary game-to-game as an off-ball scorer, so NBA teams won't put much stock into the production or statistics," the article wrote. "He's a top-20 pick based on eye test, archetype, fit and the translatability tied to his positional size, spot-up and movement shooting, shotmaking diversity and defensive competitiveness. Mullins won't have 25-point games often like the one he had against Creighton. But more will come, as he's the type capable of catching fire once the game-script calls for more firepower and his confidence starts pumping."
Mullins is helping lead the Huskies to a strong season thus far. Connecticut is sitting pretty inside the AP Top 25 rankings at No. 6 with a 27-3 record. The Huskies are also the No. 1 ranked team in the Big East Conference. The freshman guard is averaging 12.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from three-point range. Mullins was viewed as a five-star recruit in the class of 2025 ESPN recruitment rankings. He was the No. 17 ranked prospect in the nation.
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 Tyler Herro and recent acquisition Norman Powell. However, Powell is on an expiring contract and Herro has been included in trade conversations so Mullins would seemingly have an immediate role if drafted by Miami, especially if both Powell and Herro are not on the roster in Oct.
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