The Miami Heat missed out on Kevin Durant, and depending on your point of view, either the sky is falling in South Beach, or the Heat voided a Trojan Horse that was going to derail the franchise.
Now, with the NBA Draft firmly in plain sight, the Heat have the opportunity to build their roster in the mold of the current NBA champion if they are willing to get out of the business of always chasing the next big star.
Miami Heat can build a foundation with this draft
The reality for the Heat is that even with Durant, they were never going to win a title with the construction of the roster. The roster would have been left far too thin, and as the NBA Playoffs just showcased, teams need depth if they are going to navigate four rounds in two months.
So there may not be a "can't miss" prospect waiting for Miami, but if they are willing to play the long game, they can pick up someone who will pay dividends down the road.
Most mock drafts point to Miami needing a scorer, and players like Jase Richardson, Nolan Traore, or Walter Clayton Jr. are intriguing choices. Miami might also be enticed to go with a forward, and Nique Clifford or Rasheer Fleming would be great choices to fit this bill.
But if Miami was paying attention to how the Oklahoma City Thunder just won an NBA title, then they would know they are one draft pick away from mirroring one of the key components to the Thunder.
Beyond Shai Gilgeous-Alexander running around and foul-baiting everyone, the Thunder were one of the few teams to employ two 7-foot or taller guys in their rotation.
Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein gave OKC an advantage few could match. During their playoff run, Indiana and Denver didn't have a single player over seven feet, and Minnesota just had one (Rudy Gobert).
This brings us back to the No. 20 pick, and if Miami wanted a solid foundation down low for years to come, they could look at Joan Beringer from France.
He's a noted rim protector, and in case one needs a reminder, Miami was dead last in blocks in 2024-25 and was bottom ten in opponents' shooting percentage under 10 feet.
There are other big men, too, but if the Heat wants to find someone it can pair with Kel'el Ware and free up Bam Adebayo, it needs to stop hunting whales and do the safe thing in the draft.