Putting the Kevin Durant trade pursuits aside, especially with no end or certainty in sight, it may be in the Miami Heat's best interest to embrace a youth movement around Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo. If the Heat were to explore that possibility, though, it would require a bold approach on NBA Draft night, one that could have them taking a huge risk on Nolan Traore.
If the Heat is looking for a dream backcourt partner next to Herro, Traore could be their target. But as much as he could theoretically make sense as a long-term backcourt option next to Herro down the line, he's far from a guarantee. Taking a flier on Traore would be a journey full of growing pains and uncertainties.
This would be a huge bet on the team's developmental system and Traore's raw potential. On paper, Traore and Herro could emerge as an intriguing pairing in Miami. And if the Heat is indeed looking for a potential home run selection late in the first round, Traore should be pretty high on the team's draft board.
Why the Heat should seriously consider drafting Traore
Traore has good size at 6-foot-3 and the on-ball speed that would work complementary to Herro on the perimeter. Taking the ball out of his hands could do even greater wonders for Herro's overall offensive efficiency. Considering he was a pretty efficient offensive player this past season, that could be music to Miami's ears.
For all the good that Herro did this past season, which was punctuated by making his first All-Star team, there's no question he and the team would've benefited from having a more natural playmaker initiating the offense. That much was evident by the team's bottom-third ranked offense for the majority of last season.
While Traore has the speed, ball-handling, and overall playmaking ability that Miami would be looking for in a point guard, he's also a player who is probably not in a position where he's going to contribute right away. He's going to need time to develop, and that could come with some real growing pains for the Heat, especially if they're impatient with the process.
That's a real double-edged sword considering the Heat does have one of the best developmental systems in the league, but not as much patience as perhaps one would want the franchise to have with some of their young players.
If Miami does strike out on KD over the next few days, pivoting toward a more youth-centric build (which would include somewhat of a gap year) would probably be the best path forward for the team. In that event, taking a real gamble on a prospect like Traore with the No. 20 overall pick could be an appealing option for the team.