The 5 best draft picks in Miami Heat history

With the finals complete, and the NBA Draft just around the corner, here’s a look at the top draft picks in the history of the Miami Heat.

When the NBA Draft convenes on June 22, the Miami Heat will select at No. 14 overall. In what is widely predicted as the strongest draft class in over a decade, this represents a great opportunity for the Heat to infuse an exciting young talent to a roster that improved significantly over the course of this season.

In the brief but very successful history of the franchise, team president Pat Riley has certainly not used the draft as a vehicle to improve the team. More often than not, Riley has traded a combination of picks and players in order to bring the Heat to a level where he feels they can compete for championships.

Over 29 seasons in the league, the Heat have been afforded a single-figure draft pick on just six occasions. Notably, four of these six instances occurred during their first four season’s in the league. Their highest ever selection was in 2008, where Riley selected forward Michael Beasley with the No. 2 overall pick.

Beasley is now the cautionary tale that not all high-end draft picks are a guaranteed success. Still just 28, Beasley has now played on five NBA teams, with a stint in China also thrown into the mix. Since Beasley, the highest the Heat have selected was in 2015, where Justise Winslow was selected No. 10 overall.

Last season, the Heat did not have a selection on draft night, courtesy of the trade at the beginning of 2015 that brought them starting point guard Goran Dragic.

So with a somewhat rare high-quality pick at their disposal this season, here’s a look back at the best picks made thus far in the history of the Heat.