When it comes to finding and developing young talent, there’s arguably nobody better in the league than the Miami Heat. For the most part, they usually hit on their draft picks. And their crops of undrafted talent have grown into solid NBA contributors over the years.
Heat alumni Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martin are all the best examples of undrafted development in coach Erik Spoelstra’s system. All three would go on to earn lucrative deals elsewhere, once they hit free agency.
Haywood Highsmith and Duncan Robinson are another pair of Miami’s development pieces, and both still remain on the roster.
Not only have they stuck around longer term, but both have been integral parts of the Heat’s rotation. Robinson is the franchise’s all-time leading 3-point shooter, and Highsmith has found a knack in Spoelstra’s lineups as a reliable 3-and-D specialist.
As another season comes to a close, comes time to assess assets. Miami’s current crew of young players all have potential, but which ones are really worth developing moving forward?
Kel’el Ware: Develop
The most obvious youngster worth developing has to be Kel’el Ware. The talented, yet raw 7-footer emerged as the team’s starting big man alongside Bam Adebayo about midway through this past season.
Even without being a regular rotation piece until the second half of the year, Ware still secured a spot on the All-Rookie second team. He averaged 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks on 55% shooting across 64 games played.
Ware’s two-way versatility, size and athleticism make him way too intriguing to part with. He needs to be viewed as nearly untouchable.
Pelle Larsson: Develop
As the Heat’s second-round draft pick last year, Pelle Larsson didn’t have much expectations going into the season. However, Spoelstra started to lean more into Larsson minutes as the season went on. And he has the tools to be a Swiss Army knife type of rotation player longer term.
He isn’t afraid to be a tenacious and scrappy defender, whether it’s diving for loose balls or playing impactful individual defense on the perimeter. Larsson will surely need to sharpen his outside shooting abilities, but his energy and hustle is worth developing for a cheap price tag.
Keshad Johnson: Develop
Speaking of Swiss Army knife rotation players, undrafted standout Keshad Johnson has displayed signs of that same skill set. He impressed in the Heat’s 2024 summer league championship run, and carried that into the season with their g-league Skyforce squad.
Ultimately, his versatile impact was enough to earn a standard contract. Despite not receiving much playing time at all in the 2024-25 season under Spoelstra, his length and two-way potential makes another enticing prospect to develop.
Jaime Jaquez Jr: Give up
Unfortunately for Jaime Jaquez Jr., his sophomore campaign was a complete disaster. He took significant steps backwards in his encouraging rookie year, and his decline might be enough for his brief Heat career to come to an end this offseason.
Jaquez’s impressive near 12 points per game during his rookie season plummeted to just 8.6 points this year. More importantly, his playing time dipped from 28 minutes to 20– and saw himself getting a fair share of DNP’s along the way.
His inability to spread the floor, along with being figured out with his footwork and post moves last season, each impacted his role. Jaquez will almost certainly be dangled in any potential trade talks this offseason.
Josh Christopher: Give up
Another 2024 Heat summer league standout was the explosive guard scoring of Josh Christopher. As a former 24th overall draft pick back in 2021, Christopher still displays plenty of potential.
He dominated in each of that summer league run and in parts of the g-league during this past year, but he struggled to make an impact with the Heat. Most of his minutes came in garbage time of blowouts throughout the season, and his streaky shooting and limitations as a defensive player could continue to hold him back.
In a league where two-way wing talent is so crucial, Christopher’s skill set doesn’t fit that description.