The Latest from @HotHotHoops on YouTube

2025 NBA Draft Lottery results add insult to injury for Miami Heat

NBA Draft Heat
(Mandatory Credit: Charles Rex Arbogast / AP)

We have known for nearly a month that Monday night’s 2025 NBA Draft Lottery had no bearing on the Miami Heat, who became the first team in NBA History to escape the play-in as the No. 10 seed.

Miami was still mercifully swept out of the postseason, nowhere to be seen again for the remainder of the 2024-25 season. And for good reason. They were laughed, kicked and stomped out of their home building not just once, but twice by the Cleveland Cavaliers, losing Games 3 and 4 by a combined 92 points–122 for the series, an NBA record.

As a result of making the playoffs, the Heat–who had the 11th-best lottery odds heading into the play-in after finishing 37-45–lost their lottery-protected pick. They still have just one selection in the 2025 NBA Draft: The No. 20 pick, acquired by the Golden State Warriors in the Jimmy Butler trade.

However, the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery results added even more insult to injury to what was already one of the worst Heat seasons since the turn of the century.

The Dallas Mavericks, who had the 11th-best odds, won the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery:

Yes, you read that correctly.

The Dallas Mavericks, who had just an 8.5 percent chance at securing a top-4 pick and a 1.8 percent chance at landing the No. 1 pick, won the lottery and earned the No. 1 pick.

They had the 11th-best odds–in the exact spot the Miami Heat held when its tumultuous regular season ended one month ago.

Fitting, right?!

While changing one variable (team) doesn’t mean the Heat would’ve moved up–they never have in 11 trips–the agonizing stomach churn processing the “what-if?” must be lasting. You can’t help but imagine it. You can’t help but laugh.

By no means am I advocating for outright tanking Hornets, Jazz or Wizards style–the Nos. 4-6 picks, respectively–but let’s not forget the greatest player in Heat history was a top-5 pick.

Sure, preventing two future picks from being locked up is a positive from making the postseason.

But Miami could’ve used this one–badly.

For a franchise lacking a clear direction, landing Flagg–or any of the top talents–would’ve put this organization right back on the path it should be on: Building a sustainable contender. The trajectory would’ve completely changed. All of the constant turmoil would’ve been worth it.

Yet, we are all here today, imagining what could’ve been on a day that didn’t have any bearing on the Miami Heat’s pick in the first place.

***

To check out our other content, click here.

Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Twitter/X here!

Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Instagram here!

Subscribe to our YouTube channel here!

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
17 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
SunManFromDogBone

There is a very clear separation of talent between the NBA’s 30 teams. If I were to grade teams from A-F, right now, Miami is a C-/D+ team, at best. It is a long way from being a contending (B) team and even further away from being an elite (A) team.

Riley is a competitor who expects his teams to be in contention every year, even when it isn’t logical or feasible. As a result, he pursues quick fixes rather than long-term solutions. When his quick fixes fail, Spo is left to pick up the pieces.

Riley will not be able to transform the Heat from a C-/D+ team to a B+/A- team in the immediate future. The question becomes, how exactly does he plan to do that while reducing the team’s payroll to below the first apron to avoid severe penalties?

Running it back without significant upgrades will not bring success. Intentionally tanking one or more seasons in the hope of receiving a top draft pick or two also does not seem to be the right way to go. Some fans, such as myself, are opposed to teams tanking (in boxing it’s called “taking a dive”). Tanking is when a team intentionally loses in order to improve it’s odds of getting a high draft pick in an upcoming draft (ask Washington, Utah and Charlotte how it’s working for them).

Starting Mitchell, Herro, Wiggins, Bam and Ware is not tanking.

Inserting younger players on rookie contracts into the rotation for development and evaluation purposes is not tanking.

Trading, buying out or waiting for contract expirations for players who are not part of the team’s long-term plans is not tanking.

I am very interested in seeing how Riley handles personnel issues over the next 12 months. If he succeeds in bringing in an all-star closer without giving away the farm, Miami may be able to join the ranks of the NBA’s competitive teams. If he is unsuccessful, fans will be much more vocal regarding the need for him to retire. If he refuses to retire and Arison refuses to fire him, the fans may begin calling for a change of ownership, as they have done elsewhere in the NBA when they are unhappy with a team’s management and direction.

Time will tell.

Last edited 28 seconds ago by SunManFromDogBone
ManilaHeat

Wanna see something funny and sad at the same time?

Screenshot_2025-05-13-16-03-49-00_f9ee0578fe1cc94de7482bd41accb329
Big_guy305

Nba draft is rigged, how is it that the top 3 teams picking, when healthy are playoff teams, none of them deserve those picks. Dallas doesn’t the number 1 pick after trading away luka for street clothes. Ad and Flagg sounds like better compensation for the luka trade. Spurs somehow lucked into a core of wemby, castle, and now harper in consecutive years. Also freaking Philly gets the 3rd pick after trusting the process spending money to get an over the hill pg, still got lowry,and injury prone embiid, and Young ascending players Maxey, and McCain. You can’t make this up, Adam silver got some explaining to do.

Last edited 8 hours ago by Big_guy305
ManilaHeat

I’m happy for the Mavs. They can thank Mia for not tanking coz that draft could’ve been Heat’s. I’m satisfied coz habitual tankers didn’t get that #1 pick but sucks its not ours.

Big_guy305

I feel the same way minus the happy for mavs part.

oregoner

agreed. As much as I hate the Mavs and Sixers landing top-3, this is a well deserved outcome for teams that have spent multiple years tanking, like the Wizards, Jazz, and Raptors

Zac

Another reason why Micky needs to remove Pat. That pick could have been franchise altering. But instead we got ‘valuable’ playoff experience.

Miami may not be the Wizards, but they are most definitely a poverty franchise at this point.

oregoner

Poverty franchise? They’ve been to the Conference Finals 3 times and the Finals 2 times in the past 5 years. There are franchises that haven’t had that much success in their entire history. Heat fans are some of the most entitiled, spoiled fans in the nba

Reality Czech

You are correct. The last time the Knicks won the championship was 1973. The Pacers came to the NBA in 1976. They have never won a NBA championship. In other words, those 2 teams combined have not won a championship in 101 years (52 + 49).

Hothothoopsfan4life

Yeah let’s hang on to the past, what have the Mia heat done recently? Two first round exits back 2 back with a murky future. Now they aren’t a poverty franchise but it sure seems headed that way! People can complain say it’s rigged say Mia wouldn’t have gotten that far up blah blah blah all that matters is Mia needed that pick and instead made the playoffs only to get slaughtered by a bad overhyped team because Mia has no athletic 2 way players but relies on players like Tyler Herro (who’s a 6th man at his best) and should be nowhere near starting in big games such as the playoffs and players like bam who doesn’t have any heart whatsoever. If this was any other franchise heads would’ve rolled by now but instead where stuck living in the past glory of shit.

ManilaHeat

Hahahahahahahaha! LMAO!!
But to be fair no one knows what the future holds at that time. I love the fight, the confidence in these Heat team, yes including you Pat! Believing they can have a deep run in these playoffs. Moving on…
https://www.espn.ph/nba/story/_/id/45109801/sources-giannis-antetokounmpo-explore-best-fits-milwaukee

Zac

Pat’s outta touch, and what good is fight without talent? Our scrub roster needed a talent infusion.

And if any of ya’ll have faith in Pat at this point, I question your sanity.

He strikes out far more than he hits. His best hits have been with mid 1st round draft picks, but he gives them away like they are worthless.

ManilaHeat

I question my sanity too. But as ive said a dozen times over, we are at the mercy of the godfather. Unless anyone here can go and replace him.

Reality Czech

Anyone that doesn’t understand that losing this pick is a very bad day for our team is either kidding, or worse.
Having said that, my position remains what’s done is done. Can’t change it now. But it sucks.

Hothothoopsfan4life

And tbh it’s a fireable offense but this (incompetent) is what it has become franchise isn’t going to fire anyone no heads will roll and they will run it back to be a perennial playin team as long as it’s here (also didn’t hear pat bat an eye at being in the playin as long as its inception) but incompetence is going to lead this team into mediocrity for the foreseeable future

ManilaHeat

We can now only imagine what if…
Ware, Bam, Flagg, Tyler, Mitchell
Then trade a player or two for a backup center and pf. Boom! Instant contender and perhaps champions after 2 seasons.
Ok the dream is over…lets move on lol

Reality Czech

We wouldn’t have had to trade for a backup center. With pick #20, we could have had Fleming, Wolf, or Broome.

Scroll to Top
17
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x