As the 2025 NBA Draft gets closer and closer, most mock drafts have been hovering around the same four-to-five players as options for the Miami Heat at No. 20. The Heat need someone who can score, and while there are a couple of bigger players who might be nice additions, they don't fit what Miami needs going forward.
There is one player, however, who fits the mold of having length and the ability to score who has been rising up mock drafts and might be an option for the Heat later this month.
Will the Miami Heat draft Drake Powell from UNC?
Our FanSided sister site, Hardwood Houdini, just dropped their latest mock draft and has the Miami Heat selecting Drake Powell of the North Carolina Tar Heels.
This is the first mock draft we've seen circulating that links the Heat to Powell, but part of that is because, before the NBA Combine, he was viewed as a second-round pick. Since the Combine, Powell's profile has quickly risen.
What NBA scouts like about Powell is that he's 6'5" with a 7'0" wingspan and fits the mold of the modern-day lengthy wing that NBA teams covet.
On film, his strength is from being a catch-and-shoot guy along the wing. He shot 37.9 percent from three, but he doesn't just camp out in the corner. When given a chance, Powell will attack the rim, and over half his shot attempts during the 2024-25 season were near the rim.
His defensive rating is up for debate, but he's also a capable shot blocker for his position, which is something the Heat were abysmal at this past season.
Why is Drake Powell rising?
A guard with a 7'0" wingspan who can shoot the three and block some shots is going to draw eyeballs in the NBA, but there are some very real red flags that scream, "Buyer beware," at the Heat.
Going back to his film, for someone with a 7'0" wingspan, it looked like every contested finish at the rim required a minor miracle to go in. Keep in mind that the ACC was awful this past season in college basketball, so while Powell shot 48.3 percent from the field with UNC as a true freshman, there is concern whether his finishing at the rim will translate to the NBA.
His release on his shot also isn't the quickest, and the fact that Powell only cracked ten points once in UNC's final six games is reason for concern.
Powell comes across as a Combine darling who NBA teams are going to kick the tires on because he's just 19 years old. If you believe he can continue to develop, then he's a high-upside pick.
However, the Heat aren't in a position for a project player, and thus, he doesn't feel like the right fit for Miami.