5 potential draft-day trades the Heat can make
By Wes Goldberg
The Miami Heat could make some trades using the No. 14 pick and their young players to improve its roster.
The Miami Heat went into the draft lottery hoping they would move up from the No. 14 pick in the NBA Draft but, despite Alonzo Mourning’s best head shaking, that didn’t happen.
More from All U Can Heat
- Grade the Trade: Heat grab Trae Young in shocking proposal
- NBA 2K24 Ratings: Takeaways and reactions to Miami Heat player ratings
- 4 Teams that should trade for Tyler Herro
- Miami Heat’s Nikola Jovic gives entire world reason to love him
- 1 Advantage the Heat have over every Southeast Division team
That doesn’t mean that Heat are stagnant on June 22, though. Draft-day trades are a near-guarantee in the NBA. In the first round last season, there were five trades during the first round, three of which happened in the first 12 picks. That means for a team like Miami, picking at 14, there are many more avenues than just staying pat.
It’s important to note that the Heat cannot trade the pick until after they use it, due to the Stepien rule that prevents teams from trading first-round picks in consecutive years (Miami’s pick next year is owed to the Phoenix Suns).
Therefore, any trade the Heat do involving the pick would have to happen after actually using the pick.
The good news is that shouldn’t limit what the Heat can do too much. Here are a few draft-day trades Miami can make.