NBA Draft

Mock Draft: Heat Draft Two Players in Lottery

The Miami Heat have a couple of NBA Draft lottery picks if all goes well as it did for them in a recent mock draft. In this scneario, the Heat come away with a ceiling and floor raiser for the franchise.

Rylan Stiles

Feb 22, 2025; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Jeremiah Fears (0) gestures to his team between plays against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Feb 22, 2025; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Jeremiah Fears (0) gestures to his team between plays against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
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The Miami Heat have gone through a trying season to get ushered into a post Jimmy Butler era following the NBA Trade Deadline. With the Heat owning their own lottery protected first-round selection and the Warriors first-round pick, they have a chance to snag two prospects in the top-14 picks come June.

There are plenty of options on the table for Miami in a loaded 2025 NBA Draft as draft expert Derek Parker put together a Mock Draft that saw the Heat's best case scenario play out: Two lottery picks.

No. 11: Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma, G

"The youngest player in the class and a point guard with star upside, despite some concerns...He has real athletic tools like speed, shiftiness, body control and more that make his NBA future brighter...The Miami Heat are an interesting late lottery picks...If I were in their position, I would gamble on a potential star and I think Fears is just that," Parker said.

Selecting Fears at No. 11 is an easy decision for a franchise that is backed by its renowned culture. To Parker's point, the Sooner guard has true NBA star potential as he continues to develop and hone in his craft. Few spots are better at maximizing talent with buy in from a player than Miami.

No. 14 Rasheer Fleming, St. Joe's, F

"With them already having gambled on a polarizing pick, I like a higher floor in Fleming...He has came on as a draft hopeful this year [due to improved finishing and 3-point shooting], He stands at 6-foot-9 and has a reported 7-foot-5 wingspan, just elite physical tools. The Miami Heat have done a great job at getting production out of their mid-first selections and Flemming can fall to them and add two-way play next to stars on the wing for the next 15 years," Parker said.

As the Draft expert said, there is no shame in taking a high floor contributor at the end of the lottery. Especially for a team that loves to go star-hunting. As the Heat try to replace Jimmy Butler, if they land a big contracted star, the team immediately becomes expensive again and increases the value of Fleming as a cost-controlled option.

Regardless of how the rest of the roster takes shape, Fleming is a ready-made contributor and often times in the draft it is better to be safe than sorry - especially in this setting where you already have a big swing out of the way.

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Rylan Stiles
RYLAN STILES

Rylan Stiles is a credentialed media member covering the Oklahoma City Thunder. He hosts the Locked On Thunder Podcast, and is lead beat writer for Inside the Thunder. Rylan is also an award-winning play-by-play broadcaster for the Oklahoma Sports Network. 

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