Duke's Jared McCain At No. 15 In NBA Draft A Perfect Match For Miami Heat?

Anthony Pasciolla | May 11, 2024

Mar 31, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Jared McCain (0) reacts in the first half; Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Heat have the No. 15 pick in the June NBA Draft, where they will aim to land star-level talent who can help them contend for a championship.

Duke guard Jared McCain is a strong candidate for the Heat after a strong freshman season. He averaged 14.3 points and five assists on 46.2 percent shooting and 41.4 percent from three-point range in 36 games. CBS Sports is among outlets that project McCain to land in Miami.

"McCain lived up to his reputation as an elite shooter in his one season at Duke, where he averaged 14.3 points while making 41.4% of the 5.8 3-pointers he attempted per game," CBS' Gary Parrish wrote. "Considering the Heat are forever shopping Tyler Herro, and don't seem thrilled with Jimmy Butler, adding a young guard who can shoot in anticipation of a roster-shakeup might be the move."

The Heat's last selection out of Duke was Justise Winslow, who didn't pan out after being drafted at No. 12 in 2015. He left the team after five mediocre years. This could partially steer the front office in a different direction, like the experienced Dalton Knecht out of Tennessee.

McCain's scoring consistency on all three levels is the most intriguing part of his game. The Heat's front office tends to favor versatile players such as Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jovic. It's also worth noting the energy the 6-foot-3 McCain brings off-the-court due to his joyful personality and extensive presence on social media.

It would be interesting to see how that would mesh with the colorful Jimmy Butler.

Anthony Pasciolla works as a contributing writer to Inside the Heat. He can be reached at ampasciolla@gmail.com or follow him on Instagram @anthony.pasciolla.

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