2024 NBA Draft: Breaking Down Miami Heat Draft Class

The Miami Heat had two draft picks in this past draft and added solid depth to their roster. How will they fit the organization?

/ Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Heat are one of the grittiest teams in the NBA. They are led by Jimmy Butler who has led this organization to two NBA finals with his partner Bam Adebayo at his side. The Heat are adding more talented shot-makers and scorers to the roster but will need to continue filling out their depth. This year, they drafted two very solid college players in the first and second round.

Let’s dive into each selection they made and the summary of their draft.

No. 15: Kel’el Ware

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

With the first pick of their draft, they selected Kel’el Ware out of Indiana. The 7-foot center played a year at Oregon but due to a lack of playing time, he transferred to Indiana for his sophomore season this past year where he absolutely shined.

Ware is a very skilled big man who does a great job finishing around the rim and has excellent touch on floaters. His efficient rim finishing will be great next to a versatile forward in Butler. Ware is also an excellent rim protector due to his great physical tools, size and anticipation. He compares very well to Brook Lopez defensively.

What makes him exciting as a prospect is that he offers 3-and-D potential for a center which is very rare for someone at that potential. Ware has very good touch and shows promise as an outside shooter. His ceiling is extremely high on both ends of the floor and he has the potential to be a star player in the NBA one day if he reaches his ceiling.

No. 44: Pelle Larsson

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With their second-round pick, Miami selected Pelle Larsson out of Arizona. The 6-foot-6 wing was a senior who spent all four years for the Wildcats. The Swedish basketball player has a chance to be a solid player in the NBA as he has a projectable role in the NBA.

Offensively he’s a solid shooter who does a really good job at knocking down standstill shots consistently. Larsson spaces the floor very well which opens up the floor for his fellow teammates. 

On the other end, he’s a versatile defender that can effectively defend multiple positions at a high level. The former Arizona prospect is a 3-and-D wing who has a chance to have a solid career in the NBA and could serve as a legitimate rotational player.

Draft Summary

The Miami Heat added depth to their center and wing positions. They desperately needed size so getting Ware helps fill a hole that they were missing. There’s a major question on if Ware and Adebayo can share the court together, but if Ware becomes a more consistent 3-point shooter then he undoubtedly will be able to play next to Adebayo. 

His motor is the biggest question so playing for the Heat is the best possible outcome to fix his motor issues as they do a really good job of getting the best effort out of players. With Larsson, he will likely not get a ton of minutes right away but eventually, he could be a solid role player that offers versatile shooting and defense. Overall this was a very solid draft out of the Heat.

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