3 early Heat 2024 NBA Draft targets with No. 15 pick

This has been a popular conversation between fans on various social media websites about the idea that Purdue basketball star Zach Edey gets drafted by the Heat. It’s also not coming from just fans as there have been several mock drafts like the latest from Ryan Kalbrosky of ESPN.

Here’s the thing, no one can take away the fact that Edey was a phenomenal college basketball player for the Boilermakers leading to a national title appearance and back-to-back national player of the year awards which the last person to do that was Ralph Sampson in the 1980s. Plus, his frame is formidable at seven-foot, four inches, weighing 300 pounds.

Besides the conversation of if his play can translate to the NBA, the fit with Miami is also concerning to say the least. While there are a population of Heat fans that have been asking for a traditional big to be put next to star Bam Adebayo, the inclusion of Edey could ruin the fast pace the team has been running since the All-Star has taken the full-time mantle at the five spot.

The past has shown Miami likes to play fast

The epiphany from Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra in making Adebayo the permanent center came when former player Hassan Whiteside was on his last legs with the team. The pace would be sluggish, but when Adebayo came off the bench in his rookie and second-year, the team was faster.

In the hypothetical that Edey is starting, it could slow down the team as while some don’t mind playing that way, Miami embraces their play-style. Also, Adebayo would go back to his usual position at the power forward spot where he originally was slated to be coming out of the University of Kentucky, but the spacing could be off.

It’s not all negatives though, if he is drafted, the Heat are getting a player that is willing to adapt to whatever the team wants him to do while providing immense size. Plus, as Kalbrosky writes in his mock draft, he brings “offensive rebounding and interior scoring” while also talking about the questionable fit.

“Edey’s positional fit alongside Bam Adebayo would be a topic of discussion in Miami, but his productivity, physicality, intensity and team-culture match would be welcomed by the Heat,” Kalbrosky wrote. “Adebayo started to slowly incorporate a 3-point shot into his offensive arsenal late this season and has the type of defensive versatility that could be useful alongside another big. Edey’s offensive rebounding and interior scoring are skills the Heat lack, making him an attractive pick here.”

Guard Jarred McCain out of Duke

Jarred McCain out of Duke University is one of the many freshman on the Blue Devils who stood out and declared for the upcoming draft. He is also a name that has been connected to the Heat in multiple mock drafts, including ClutchPoints’ very own Brett Seigel.

With Miami’s backcourt muddled as Tyler Herro is once again involved in a massive amount of trade rumors and Terry Rozier is still dealing with a neck injury that knocked him out for the end of the season, McCain could be a great option at No. 15. He was absolutely explosive as in all the 36 games he appeared and started in, averaging 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 46.2 percent from the field.

He also was very active in Duke’s production from three-point range as he shot 41.4 percent from beyond the arch, attempting 5.8 per game. Depending on what happens to the Heat’s roster with Herro, Rozier, and even star Jimmy Butler, the 20-year old in McCain could be an exciting option for the team.

Guard Devin Carter out of Providence

What is very important for Riley and Spoelstra is a player that can buy into the famed “Heat Culture” and judging by the first round talent, Providence guard Devin Carter seems like the guy most fit for the workload. He could be my favorite player for the team at this spot due to his improvement on the offensive side of the ball and everything else that doesn’t appear on a stat-sheet.

In his junior season, he averaged 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 47.3 percent from the field. However, it’s his defense that can attract Miami into drafting him as they value a jack-of-all-trades guard that can especially excel on both ends of the floor. Despite the amount of rebounds per game, he had 32 blocked shots and is considered one of the nation’s top perimeter defenders.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman has Carter going to the Heat in his mock draft stating that he has “unteachable defensive intensity.” If that doesn’t scream a Heat player, I don’t know what does. While it doesn’t have anything to do with his play, he has connections to Miami as he’s from the city, went to high school in Doral, and is the son of former player Anthony Carter who played with the team.

“Unteachable defensive intensity, toughness and instincts separate Carter and fuel his identity, though he’s entered the lottery conversation by developing into a dangerous shot-maker and crafty pick-and-roll ball-handler,” Wasserman wrote.

Whoever the Heat decide to get at No. 15, if they even stay at the pick, fans are sure to trust the selection since the history of recent drafts have showed productivity.