2025 NBA Draft: 4 qualities the Miami Heat should prioritize

We are nearly two weeks away from the 2025 NBA Draft, where the Miami Heat own the No. 20 pick!

Part of team-building is knowing what you’re looking for. Self-scouting is important; you must know your strengths and weaknesses way better than any other team does. Knowing how to address those weaknesses is far easier said than done–every team is trying to accomplish the same thing as you–but a way that can be done is addressing them through the draft, should the opportunity present itself.

The Heat’s 20th overall selection will be their only pick of the two-day event, so what should they be prioritizing? While not all of these players fit into every category, below, I list a few traits in no particular order! Let’s dive into it!

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A Lead Guard:

Outside of Isaiah Stevens, who played a whopping six minutes last season, the Heat have no lead guards. Tyler Herro acted as a de-facto point guard before Davion Mitchell arrived at the deadline, taking some burden of responsibility off his shoulders. I’d prefer they invest in Stevens long-term, but the Heat lack an organizer, a player who can set their best players up. Neither Herro nor Mitchell should be those options long-term. Miami’s offense has been a bottom-third unit for the last three seasons, and one of the few things they’ve missed was a consistent table setter.

Realistic prospects who fit that mold: Ben Saraf, Nolan Traore, Egor Demin, Jase Richardson

3-Point Shooting:

The Heat ranked just outside the top-10 in 3-point rate and 3-point percentage a year ago. But you can never have enough shooting. Unfortunately for the point I made above, this class is littered with guards who can’t shoot. There will still be shooters available at 20. And with the possibility of the Heat moving off Duncan Robinson’s partially guaranteed $19.9 million contract, spacing and movement shooting should be of its utmost priorities.

Realistic prospects who fit that mold: Richardson, Rasheer Fleming, Cedric Coward, Nique Clifford, Carter Bryant

Disruptive, Versatile Defenders:

The Miami Heat owning a top-10 defense last year was almost direct indictment on Bam Adebayo’s impact. They weren’t disruptive enough. Davion Mitchell’s point-of-attack defense was exceptional, though Haywood Highsmith wasn’t as consistent and Pelle Larsson had moments. The Heat are devoid of consistently disruptive, versatile defenders to pair alongside Adebayo, one of the best defenders in the sport.

Realistic prospects who fit that mold: Fleming, Clifford, Bryant, Coward, Saraf, Asa Newell, Adou Thiero

A(nother) Backup Big?!?

I don’t think the Heat will go big again at 20, unless it’s clearly the best player available–which, in theory, should be the idea anyway. However, here me out: Kevin Love will be 37-years-old in September and is your only backup big on the roster, now that Kel’el Ware and Bam Adebayo will presumably start together next season. You can’t expect Nikola Jovic, Keshad Johnson or Kyle Anderson to be your best options outside of Love. This year’s free agency class for (backup) bigs this year is pretty porous. They need a contingency plan at some point.

Realistic prospects who fit that mold: Thomas Sorber, Danny Wolf, Asa Newell

What do you think the Heat should prioritize in this month’s draft? Let us know in the comments!

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