Despite another underwhelming regular season so far, the Miami Heat have a few prospects that are worth keeping an eye on. Keshad Johnson is one of them— a 6-foot-7 forward out of Arizona. Miami took a chance on the lengthy undrafted player shortly after the 2024 NBA draft, and he is already showing some upside.
His versatility skills made him a key contributor on the Heat’s undefeated 2024 summer league championship run. He was able to display plenty of potential on both ends of the floor, and was awarded one of the team’s two-way contracts heading into the season. Johnson, Dru Smith and Josh Christopher wound up being the three players to secure those spots.
Johnson hasn’t received much opportunity on the Heat so far this season, but he has made plenty of noise as one of the top players in the entire G-League for the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He has a level of burst to his game, with aggressive drives to the rim and encouraging efficiency. The lengthy frame allows him to be a defensive force as well, and he is able to play multiple positions in the frontcourt.
In nine games for the Skyforce, Johnson has averaged 24.3 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals on 57.8% shooting.
The Skyforce has utilized him as a premier player in their lineups, and he has made the most of his opportunities. Johnson recently earned the G-League's player of the week honors, where he averaged nearly 30 points and 8 rebounds on an absurd 78% shooting, 56% from 3-point range, in that span. For the entire season, he is shooting 40% from long range to go along with 82% from the free throw line.
The shooting splits have been so impressive to pair with his dominant scoring and rebounding production. He has played like one of the best players in the entire G-League, and it earned him a long overdue chance with the Heat.
On Monday night in Miami’s loss to the Boston Celtics, Johnson appeared in his NBA debut for seven minutes off the bench. The two-way forward didn’t see much time, but it was encouraging to finally have his presence on the court. There is no better franchise at finding and developing undrafted talent than the Heat, so it is only a matter of time before he starts to earn more opportunities.
Miami lacks functional size across their entire rotation, which is something that Johnson can help with. Coach Erik Spoelstra opted to give him his first NBA minutes by utilizing him as a small ball big man. However, he could make his biggest impact playing as the power forward alongside an established center, whether that is Bam Adebayo or Kevin Love.
It will be interesting to see if Johnson could work his way to a real role in the Heat’s lineups. He plays as a Swiss Army knife type of forward— someone that can provide an impact in several different ways. The versatility on both ends and high energy motor bring plenty of potential to work with, as he could very much be the next success story in Miami’s system.