Could Kentucky's Rob Dillingham Falls To Miami Heat In NBA Draft?

Mar 6, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Rob Dillingham (0) drives to the basket during the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports | Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Heat could walk away from the NBA Draft with one of the biggest steals, much like UCLA's Jaime Jaquez Jr. last year.

Kentucky Wildcats guard Rob Dillingham had a standout freshman season, averaging 15.2 points and 3.9 assists on 47.5 percent shooting and 44.4 percent from three-point range. These numbers lead most to project him in the top 10, but not The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, who believes Dillingham could slip to the Heat just outside of the lottery.

"Dillingham could go a lot higher than this, but someone’s gotta fall, right? The Heat landed Justise Winslow on a draft-night slide many moons ago," O'Connor wrote. "Though that didn’t work out as anticipated, Dillingham could be a perfect pairing in two-man actions with Bam Adebayo."

Dillingham would fit seamlessly into the Heat's rotation, backing up guards Terry Rozier and Tyler Herro. His inconsistencies on defense are not a huge concern, considering the Heat ranked No. 5 in defensive rating last season (111.5).

The biggest surprise of O'Connor's late projection is Purdue's Zach Edey being selected at No. 12 by the Oklahoma City Thunder. It's hard to imagine Thunder general manager Sam Presti passing on Dillingham because Edey's ceiling is considerably lower. While the 7-foot-3 center addresses a hole in their roster, Presti often favors potential over safety.

Anthony Pasciolla works as a contributing writer to Inside the Heat. He can be reached at ampasciolla@gmail.com or check out his TikTok @apasciolla.

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