5 Stars the Miami Heat missed drafting by a single pick
The Miami Heat are known to have a tier-one scouting department and front office and they will be on the clock again when the Heat select 15th in this June's draft.
Over the last few seasons, the Heat earned a reputation for finding undrafted, hidden gems. But there have been franchise-altering draft picks over the years, such as Dwyane Wade, Glen Rice and Bam Adebayo, to name a few. Even picks on this current Heat roster that all fell after 10th in the first round of drafts have turned out to be some excellent choices.
Tyler Herro was selected 13th overall in the 2019 draft and went on to capture the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award a few seasons later. Sophomore Nikola Jovic was snagged at the 27th pick in 2022 which has proved to be a steal. Jovic took major steps in his development this season as a 20-year-old from Serbia, earning his way into coach Erik Spoelstra’s starting lineup.
The most recent draft choice success came a year ago with Jaime Jaquez Jr., picked 18th overall. Jaquez Jr. wound up being one of the main spotlights of this up-and-down 2023-2024 season for Miami. He burst onto the scene right out of the gate, wasting no time earning a regular rotation spot.
With all this being said, Pat Riley and company can’t win them all. There are surely a handful of Heat draft choice fumbles where Miami just barely missed out on another star or impactful player.
5. Tony Allen
The earliest Miami Heat draft selection error came in 2004 when Dorell Wright was picked 19th overall. Wright, the brother of current Heat role player Delon Wright, wound up being a solid rotation piece for years to come following the draft. He was a sharpshooter who was a part of the 2006 Miami championship roster.
However, Wright never averaged more than 7.9 points in a single season during his Heat tenure. Tony Allen would end up being selected by the Boston Celtics at 25th overall in the same draft class, just six selections following the Heat’s that year. Allen wasn’t a superstar by any means, but he was an extremely valuable role player.
His defense made him one of the best role players in the entire league for a while. Allen is a former six-time All-Defensive player who won a championship with the Celtics in 2008. He wound up playing several years longer of a career than Wright, and his relentless defensive abilities made him a core contributor during his time with both the Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies.