The 2021 NBA Draft has come and gone. Unfortunately for draft enthusiasts, the Miami Heat did not make any picks.
It was well-established before the draft began that the Heat did not have any picks. Some believed they could trade up, but ultimately Pat Riley decided to stand pat (no pun intended).
While they did not make any official selections, there is always a chance for teams to sign players after the draft ends. This year, the Miami Heat took advantage of that.
This year’s NBA Draft was supposedly one of the best in recent history. Not only did it have some of the most talented players, but also had a very deep pool of quality contributors.
Big names such as Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green went off the board first, but other talented players ended up falling. Sharife Cooper, a projected top-25 pick, ended up being drafted 48th overall.
Players such as Austin Reaves and Aaron Henry even found themselves falling out of the draft altogether. These are the types of players the Miami Heat had a chance to snag after it was all said and done.
Pat Riley is amazing at locating undrafted talent. Well, let’s hope the players he managed to find this year can keep that track record up.
The Miami Heat signed Javonte Smart, AJ Lawson, RJ Nembhard, DJ Stewart Jr., Dejon Jarreau, and Micah Potter after the draft concluded. The plan is that all of them will be a part of the Heat’s Summer League roster in Las Vegas this summer, with a chance to earn a spot on the regular-season roster.