The Heat own the No. 27 pick in Thursday’s draft.
The Miami Heat will be selecting No. 27 in the 2022 NBA Draft, which is less than 72 hours away. It marks their fourth first-round selection since 2016 and it will be their only 2022 draft selection, with their second-rounder forfeited due to the tampering scandel when Miami signed Kyle Lowry last summer.
However, according to Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated, some believe the Heat might not keep their pick:
“Rival teams believe there’s a good chance the Heat ultimately trade this pick, considering their salary cap situation and their knack for uncovering and developing undrafted talent,” Woo wrote in his latest NBA Mock Draft Tuesday.
It’s not completely out of the question the Heat deal their pick.
Recently, the Heat have been rumored to be in the running for Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant, as well as the Portland Trail Blazers and Atlanta Hawks, per Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated NBA insider Adam Borai.
Sources: Jerami Grant’s trade candidacy has been heating up the past few weeks. Concerns over his extension have stalled potential suitors from seriously engaging with DET as of now. As previously reported, the Blazers & Hawks are teams to watch. Now, add the Heat to that list.
— Adam Borai (@AdamNBorai) June 19, 2022
Is it feasible Miami attempts to get off, say, Duncan Robinson — its only $10-20 million salary filler contract at $16.9M — and its first-round pick for Grant, or a Jerami Grant-caliber player? I would say so, though that doesn’t mean it will come into fruition.
The Heat could package multiple assets, including the two aforementioned above, and up to four more first-round picks (two outright, two swaps) for Bradley Beal or Donovan Mitchell, should they be on the block within the next 48-72 hours. Other players that might be available for trade, per Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer: John Collins, Harrison Barnes, Alec Burks and PJ Washington, who the Heat were linked to at the trade deadline, among others.
Needless to say, Heat president Pat Riley hasn’t been shy with trading first-round picks for established veterans before. When he acquired Jimmy Butler (via a sign-and-trade) during the 2019 offseason in a four-team trade, he dealt his lottery-protected 2023 first-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers that eventually ended up with the Oklahoma City Thunder. When he acquired Goran Dragic from the Phoenix Suns in 2015, he traded Miami’s 2018 and 2021 first-round picks to Phoenix.
Perhaps Miami’s most notable draft-night trade (in recent memory), however, came in 2014 when Riley traded up two spots for Shabazz Napier in effort to re-sign LeBron James. None have been for an established veteran, at least not recently.
Until something real develops, it’s fair to brush this aside as pure speculation. But I wouldn’t put it past Riley — who can now trade his 2022, 2023 and 2028 first-round picks outright — to try to swing for the fences come draft night if a worthy opportunity presents itself.
What do you think? Comment below!