May 25, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) talks with guard Duncan Robinson (55) during the fourth quarter of game five of the 2022 eastern conference finals against the Miami Heat at FTX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
The Heat came up just short against the Celtics in this year’s Eastern Conference Finals and one draft pick could change things next season.
It’s easy to forget just how close Miami came to representing the Eastern Conference against the Warriors in this year’s edition of the NBA Finals. Erik Spoelstra and his coaching staff will spend countless hours this offseason scrutinizing every misstep against the Celtics.
In a perfect world, the Heat would simply go out into the open market and add another impact free agent. Players love to come to Miami. The problem for the Heat is that they don’t have the financial flexibility required under the salary cap to make that happen this offseason.
That makes hitting on the No. 27 pick a must for the Heat if they want to take a step forward next year. Finding an impact player late in Round 1 is a challenge, but Miami has an outstanding track record of mining the draft for underrated gems. Heat fans should keep a close eye on the following five players as potential additions to next year’s roster.
Who should the Miami Heat target in the 2022 NBA Draft?
5. Marjon Beauchamp
The Heat understand just how precious talent on the wing is in the modern NBA. Beauchamp has just the sort of defensive chops and rebounding prowess that Miami likes to employ at the small forward position.
The problem with Beauchamp is that he’s not a proven three-point marksman. Fortunately for the Heat, they can surround him with other perimeter players who are elite shooters on the second unit. That makes Miami a great place for Beauchamp to land absent of anything to do with fun on South Beach.