The Miami Heat's first round draft guide: bigs edition

Who could the Heat add to Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware?

Dec 10, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat team president Pat Riley looks on during the first half of a game against the San Antonio Spurs at FTX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Could the Miami Heat be eyeing a fix to their big man room during this NBA draft?

It's a possibility.

Among the team's long list of needs during this off-season, gaining some stability in the front-court is a main one. Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware are quite literally the two names under that umbrella for certain right now, and that third piece at the five is needed.

There's been an obvious push to get Adebayo and Ware more playing time next to one another. But the truth is that it's tough when one of those guys needs to be on the floor at all times.

Of course a solid veteran can help in that category, but we've seen that story in the past. From Dewayne Dedmon to Cody Zeller to Thomas Bryant. The veteran minimum path just isn't the move.

So with the Heat selecting at 13, there are two ways they could go if they wanted to take a young big man.

The primary big to look at if you're hoping somebody slides would be Aday Mara. This 7'4 big man out of Michigan would give Heat fans the size they've been looking for to mix into the Adebayo-Ware system.

He's strong inside, has good footwork and finesse for his size, and just takes up a ton of space.

But the intriguing factor with his stock is that he's an above average passer. Teams send doubles his way in the post due to most match-ups being a mismatch, and not only can he see over the defense, but he can make passes that a lot of bigs can't.

If he slid, he would definitely get a look, especially with the Michigan ties.

Staying on the Michigan path, by far the most interesting name on this list is Morez Johnson. He played next to Mara on their way to a National Championship this past season, and there's no doubt his skillset would interest the Heat.

Nobody's stock is rising 𝙁𝑨𝙎𝑻𝙀𝑹 than Morez Johnson Jr's

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📷: https://t.co/x04iv329W9 pic.twitter.com/SgJLYl7Pns

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He's 6 foot 10 with a 7'3 1/2 wingspan, and simply just checks a ton of boxes. Has a strong motor, active on the glass, can play out of the post in a variety of ways, and has potential to operate out of some face-ups.

The versatility is the part that draws interest. He can move his feet out on the perimeter and can hold his own down low on the defensive end, immediately providing some possibilities for him to play next to Adebayo.

Johnson averaged 13.1 points a game and grabbed 7.3 rebounds on his way to a stock rising season, putting himself into lottery conversations. Versatile bigs are understandably popular in this league.

Arizona State Jayden Quaintance pic.twitter.com/f8s5URHwiI

— Pitless (@pitlessball) March 24, 2026

A player that sits in the same mold as Johnson in this draft would be Jayden Quaintance out of Kentucky.

He's 6 foot 10 as well but has an impressive 7 foot 5 wingspan. Similarly is a really good finisher around the basket, has some burst to his game when heading downhill, and a leaping lob threat and offensive rebounder.

The catch? He only played 4 games at Kentucky after he was shut down due to a prior ACL injury. If that injury never happened, he probably wouldn't even be available at the Heat's pick.

But it did happen, and it'll be up to Miami and other teams to evaluate those medicals. No doubt the talent is there, especially when you go back and watch the film at Arizona State.

The builds of Johnson and Quaintance are the type of big that I could see Miami taking if they were to go in this direction.

2026 Hannes Steinbach pic.twitter.com/AUeD4HX2YV

— Pitless (@pitlessball) March 17, 2026

The type of big I don't see Miami taking in this range would be a player like Hannes Steinbach. He was one of the best rebounders in college basketball and has an NBA ready type game, but Miami still needs upside over "solid rotation piece" at this current time.

Even some guys projected much lower like Chris Cenac Jr and Joshua Jefferson are swings to keep an eye on, more likely if they were to drop into the second round.

Cenac Jr is one of the smoothest offensive bigs on this list with his mid range jumper and three point ability. Stands 6 foot 11 and spent early years playing point forward which fast-tracked his skillset in many ways.

Jefferson, on the other hand, could be classified as a wing even though he is 6 foot 9. Plays the game like a guard as he was Iowa State's initiator for long pockets as an exceptional passer. Not just play-making out of doubles like most bigs do, but making live on-ball reads when running the floor.

There's some talent at this position in this draft, no doubt. But by the tone of this piece, I bet you can guess the type of big that I believe Miami would spend more time scouting.