With the opt-out date for college players to remove themselves from the NBA Draft now over, the Miami Heat can officially plan their big board for June 25 and know exactly who will be available to draft.
One player, though, who keeps hovering around the No. 20 spot in mock drafts is a senior who was going to be in the draft no matter what. He had a great senior year, but is he a good fit for the Heat as Miami tries to upgrade its roster?
Will Nique Clifford be available at No. 20 for the Miami Heat?
Nique Clifford is a 6'5" hybrid guard/forward who spent three seasons with Colorado before transferring to Colorado State these past two seasons.
This past year was his breakout season, averaging 18.9 points per game and 9.6 rebounds per game while averaging 35 minutes a night.
On film, Clifford is just a solid all-around player. Clifford has a variety of ways to score, and while he is a solid catch-and-shoot shooter, he is also comfortable in traffic in the lane and has some finishes that should bode well in the NBA.
He shot 37% from three and shot almost five attempts per game from deep while shooting 49.6% overall.
He has a 6'8" wingspan and is considered a plus defender along the wing. Playing at Colorado State made Clifford somewhat overshadowed, but if it weren't for a Derik Queen buzzer-beater to help Maryland beat Colorado State, the Rams would have been in the Sweet 16 to take on Florida.
Nique Clifford would be an awkward fit for the Miami Heat
The two main concerns for Clifford are his age and whether he can beat his opponents off the dribble. He's 23 already, and while he was an effective scorer, he wasn't blowing by guys, and the reason he needed a bag of tricks to score was that he seldom created separation.
It's also part of the reason his assist-to-turnover ratio was south of two to one.
So specific to the Heat, he could slot into the 2 spot if the plan is to keep Tyler Herro as the true point guard. Beyond that, he could play the 3, but now he is in a log jam with Andrew Wiggins, and with Wiggins on the books for two more years, Clifford would be pushing 26 years old by the time the Heat might look at him to start.
Clifford is a solid player, but he may not have the elite upside gamble the Heat are in need of if he is still available at No. 20.