The Miami Heat's draft picks since Dwyane Wade left in 2016

A team’s record in the draft is one of the best tests to see if a front office knows what it’s doing. It’s impossible to win without success there because free agency is not what it used to be and big-time players are hopping around more through trades.

In the Miami Heat’s case, the two dominoes that forced them to pick up their drafting game was LeBron James returning to Cleveland in 2014 and Dwyane Wade humbling them by leaving for Chicago in 2016. Since then, they've done better than most at identifying talent that has slipped through the cracks.

Lets review.

Bam Adebayo, 2017

The 2016-17 season famously had its 31-11 finish, the team missed the playoffs, and it was on to a new era without Wade. The Heat subsequently drafted Bam Adebayo, who they instantly knew was better than Hassan Whiteside from day one, but they didn’t hand the starting spot over to him because that’s not how they do things, usually.

He turned into one of three or four top players from his draft class, which makes him arguably the Heat’s best pick ever, considering the 14th spot is not a favorable one. Adebayo is still in his prime and making a good case for the Hall of Fame with three All-Star selections plus six on All-Defense, with two Olympic gold medals. To boot, he was the team's second-best player on two Finals runs in 2020 and 2023.

Adebayo has succeeded Udonis Haslem as the captain and is only 35 rebounds behind him for the most in team regular-season history.

Tyler Herro and Bol Bol, 2019

The 2019 draft was a success, getting high value in Tyler Herro at the 13th pick, who was third in minutes for the 2020 playoff run. His offensive talents made him into an All-Star in 2024-25 as well. The only player that was chosen after him that one could reasonably justify picking over Herro was Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

Furthermore, Bol Bol, drafted 44th, was traded to the Denver Nuggets for some chicken feed. Bol did not play in the NBA in 2025-26 and was last seen in the Philippine Basketball Association.

Precious Achiuwa, 2020

One of the quickest ways to hurt a Heat fan's feeling is to remind them of how awful the 2020 draft was and how it did no favors for the team in the Jimmy Butler era. Precious Achiuwa was fast, but not productive and easily one of the team’s worst picks ever, taken ahead of Tyrese Maxey, Immanuel Quickley, Payton Pritchard, Jaden McDaniels and Desmond Bane. These players range from All-Stars to high-quality rotation pieces.

After one year in Miami, the Heat moved him in the deal to bring in Kyle Lowry in 2021. Achiuwa was even brought back for a second look before last year started and got waived 23 days after signing. He later signed with the Sacramento Kings, a squad in the basement and re-committed to them for another two years in July.

Jan 31, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) drives to the basket as Chicago Bulls forward Dalen Terry (7) closes in during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Nikola Jović, 2022

The team had traded its 2021 pick in the Goran Dragić deal in 2015, which meant there was no draft choice the year following the Achiuwa disaster. The committee then had another of its worst draft moments, selecting Nikola Jović, who was given a contract extension based on potential.

Jović’s confidence has been an issue and some rough stretches in a game can turn into the whole game. Since he can do different things, but none at a high level, he was played out of position early on in his career, which may have affected his confidence. Still, there is some modest hope internally that he can be salvaged.

At 27, choosing a rotation player is tough work. Still, he was taken ahead of Peyton Watson, Andrew Nemhard, Moussa Diabaté, Ryan Rollins and Vince Williams Jr.. Each of them is a nice starter or reserve.

On top of that, the Heat did not draft in the second round in 2022 because their pick was stripped as punishment for the Kyle Lowry tampering probe.

Jaime Jaquez Jr., 2023

The committee returned to normalcy with its draft work in 2023, selecting Jaime Jaquez Jr.. Notably, he was picked 18th, and was fourth in Rookie of the Year voting and ninth for Sixth Man of the Year in 2023-24.

Jaquez was not an effective 3-point shooter for the Heat, but he turned into one of their four most important players in his last tour in Miami, making sure they maintained their quick pace off the bench. He still has another level to get to and is a nice rotation piece now for the Milwaukee Bucks after being included in the deal to bring in Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Kel’el Ware and Nikola Ðjurišić, 2024

Despite coach Erik Spoelstra’s issues with Kel’el Ware’s consistency, the big man showed tons of promise as a rebounder and versatile scorer. If he puts it all together, he could be a top-10 center or more. That’s pretty good for someone who just fell out of the lottery (15). Ware was also included in the deal for Antetokounmpo and is now playing for the Bucks.

Furthermore, if Nikola Ðjurišić is not a name people remember, then they should because trading him in the three-team deal on draft night brought back Pelle Larsson and cash considerations. Larsson is a third-year player on the rise, who will presumably be a sixth or seventh man with the team in 2026-27.

Ðjurišić has not made his NBA debut yet after signing a multi-year contract with the Atlanta Hawks in 2025 and then being waived in February. He plays now with KK Crvena zvezda.

Kasparas Jakučionis, 2025

It was impossible to keep him out of the Antetokounmpo trade because he has potential to be an effective two-way guard, perhaps something similar to Nembhard. He played more as his rookie year went on, highlighting nice passing skills and an ability to play off-ball. He was picked at 20 by Miami, and no one after him stood out from the 2025 draft.

Nate Ament and Otega Oweh, 2026

Nate Ament was chosen 13th by the Heat and sent to the Bucks as part of the Antetokounmpo deal. Oweh was picked 41st and was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Ryan Conwell.

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