For the first time since 2019, the Miami Heat will partake in the NBA Draft Lottery. And there will be a familiar face in Chicago to represent the Heat, who enter with less than a five percent chance at earning a top-4 pick.
In late April, the Associated Press’ Tim Reynolds reported that vice president of player programs and development, Alonzo Mourning, will be representing the stage for Miami, which the league confirmed Friday. Vice president of basketball operations Adam Simon will represent the team in the room where the lottery is held.
Mourning, 56, has been in that position for 15 years after spending 11 of his 15 seasons with Miami as a player. In his career with the Heat, he averaged 16.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.7 blocks, winning Defensive Player of the Year twice (1998-00).
The Heat will have just two picks in the 2026 draft: Wherever they land in the first round and No. 41 overall, the 11th pick of the second round, from the Golden State Warriors as a result of the Terry Rozier gambling debacle. Here’s their odds for each pick:
- No. 14 pick: 2.3 percent
- No. 13: 92.9 percent
- No. 4: 1.4 percent
- No. 3: 1.2 percent
- No. 2: 1.1 percent
- No. 1: 1.0 percent
The Miami Heat have never moved up in the draft lottery. Perhaps Mourning, who was also in attendance in 2019, will change some of the luck that hasn’t existed for them in this setting. Coming off their fourth-straight play-in appearance, Miami needs a lot of luck to save its perpetually mediocre trajectory.
Sometimes, it’s better to be lucky than good.
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