The Miami Heat have a case of being the best organization when it comes to developing overlooked prospects. In the baseball world, "Moneyball" is a popular phrase about using analytics and data to construct a competitive team with a small budget. The Heat's way of handling business, especially in recent years, isn't exactly like it, but it aligns in a way.

The Heat focus on players with strong mentalities, along with a great will to do whatever it takes to win.

Every year, hundreds of athletes aren't fortunate enough to hear their names called in the NBA draft. However, it gives them a chip on their shoulders to prove every doubter wrong, including league executives. The Heat have the best scouts ready to bring in these undrafted players and develop them into impactful rotation pieces.

The most recent examples of success stories are Max Strus, Caleb Martin, and Gabe Vincent, who are currently part of different organizations but signed big standard contracts after their Heat tenures. They are looking to do the same with another undrafted prospect: Keshad Johnson.

The California native played five years in college, which, in many cases, hurts a player's draft stock. Organizations often target younger players looking for long-term solutions.

Johnson entered last year's NBA draft at 23 years old, but didn't get his name called to walk the stage and shake commissioner Adam Silver's hand. However, he immediately signed a two-way contract with the Heat.

The undrafted rookie enters a pipeline in which players in his situation carve out long NBA careers.

Johnson spent the majority of last season with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat's G-League affiliate. He averaged 15.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.5 blocks, and shot 49.3 percent from the field in 19 appearances. However, the young forward struggled from behind the arc, shooting 24.2 percent.

Johnson was also converted to a standard contract in late December. He didn't play significant minutes in the NBA, despite appearing in 16 games.

During the offseason, Johnson participated in both the California Classics and Las Vegas Summer League. He appeared in five games and averaged 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.8 blocks, and shot 49.4 percent from the field, 26.3 percent from three-point range.

Keshad Johnson Highlights | 2025 NBA Summer League In the total of 5 summer league games, Keshad Johnson averaged 12 points with 5 rebounds a game and 1.8 blocks per game.https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV...

Johnson has shown flashes of the kind of player he can be, but his great performances need to be more consistent. He's strong, physical, and athletic, which gives him the intangibles to have a tremendous presence in the paint.

When asking Erik Spoelstra about Johnson's development, he broke down the improvements he's seen thus far and what the next steps are.

"We like some of the winning qualities that he brought from both the places he played in college," he said. "He's developed well with us. He's in elite shape and understands what his role is. He's getting better at defending, being able to be more versatile in defending one through four, and also defending sometimes fives. He just has to stay with the course with his development and all will come."

It can be forgettable that Johnson was just a rookie last year. There is so much room to grow for him as a player.

The case could be made that there are similarities between his development and Haywood Highsmith's. Both are strong forwards, but with limited offense to begin their careers.

Highsmith was relied upon as a tremendous defender, but later developed a consistent three-point stroke. He shot 37.5 percent from behind the arc throughout his four-year Heat tenure.

Johnson is in the best situation to become an impactful rotation player, but it will take time, hard work, and patience.