The Miami Heat, once considered an organization that didn’t value the draft, have suddenly become a team built through the draft.
Look at the roster: Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic. Five core players that the Heat have selected in the first round of the draft. This doesn’t include second-round picks like Pelle Larsson or undrafted finds like Duncan Robinson, Haywood Highsmith and Keshad Johnson.
Going forward, the draft will be important to the Heat as they rebuild in the post-Jimmy Butler era. By adding a 2025 first-round pick in the trade that sent Butler to the Golden State Warriors, the Heat have eight draft picks over the next seven years. Let's take a look at all of the team's future picks.
2025 Draft Picks
First-round picks:
-Golden State’s first-round pick (top-10 protected, likely to convey)
-Miami’s own first-round pick (to Oklahoma City, top-14 protected)
Second-round picks:
-None
2026 Draft Picks
First-round picks:
-Miami’s own first-round pick (unprotected to Oklahoma City if it does not convey in 2025)
Second-round picks:
-Lakers’ second-round pick
2027 Draft Picks
First-round picks:
-Miami’s own first-round pick (top-14 protected)
Second-round picks:
-None
2028 Draft Picks
First-round picks:
-Miami’s own first-round pick (unprotected if it does not convey in 2027)
Second-round picks:
-None
2029 Draft Picks:
First-round picks:
-Miami’s own first-round pick
Second-round picks:
-None
2030 Draft Picks
First-round picks:
-Miami’s own first-round pick
Second-round picks:
-None
2031 Draft Picks
First-round picks:
-Miami’s own first-round pick
Second-round picks:
-Miami’s own (swap rights with Indiana)
There’s not a lot in the cupboard for the Heat, who currently can only trade a maximum of three future first-round picks and a pair of second-round picks. But they’ve also done good work in the draft recently, finding rotation players or All-Stars with every first-round pick they’ve made since 2020.