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5 Stars the Miami Heat missed drafting by a single pick

The NBA draft is a pivotal part of each NBA offseason. The Miami Heat have made several homerun draft picks, but there have also been some blunders.

By Daniel Riccio

Philadelphia 76ers v New York Knicks - Game Five
Philadelphia 76ers v New York Knicks - Game Five / Elsa/GettyImages
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2. Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook
Portland Trail Blazers v Oklahoma City Thunder - Game Four / Wesley Hitt/GettyImages

During the 2008 NBA draft, several star talents were up for grabs. Michael Beasley, the Heat’s second overall pick, was a college legend at Kansas State. He had elite scoring potential written all over him, with some even projecting him to go number one in that draft class.

Russell Westbrook fell just two picks after Beasley at fourth overall. Unfortunately Beasley’s untapped potential was never fully reached with some off-court troubles, and was eventually flipped to make room financially for the newly formed “Big Three” in Miami during the 2010 offseason. But missing out on Westbrook was a painful one.

This is a guy who now owns the NBA’s all-time triple-double leader crown. He became a nine-time NBA All-Star, two-time scoring champion and the league’s 2017 MVP. That Heat Big Three era could have easily turned into a legitimate dynasty had Westbrook been in the fold.

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