With a Playoffs berth being an uphill battle presently, the Miami Heat could be set to earn a lottery pick at the 2025 NBA Draft.
They’ve done well in selecting in the middle of the first round in recent years — nabbing prospects like Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kel’el Ware — and they could see their best pick in years in the coming months.
With that in mind, here’s three potential late-lottery options for Miami in the impending draft:
Likely the highest-ceiling point guard in the class, save for Rutgers Dylan Harper, Fears showcased high highs and low lows in his sole college season. But at just 18 with plenty of development to be had, he’s one of a few players offering real star-power.
In 34 games with the Sooners, he scored a white-hot 17.1 points, albeit on lower 43-28-85 splits, and dished 4.1 assists to 3.4 turnovers.
The guard would certainly be a project, but likely the most naturally talented prospects Miami has drafted in some time. With All-Star potential if he’s able to clean up inefficiency and turnovers.
The son of two-time dunk champion Jason Richardson, Jase saw a monumental rise in a gritty Michigan State system this year, capping out at 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists with highly efficient shooting: 49% overall and 41% from three.
Richardson shies more toward being a two-guard, but certainly has ball-handling and passing capabilities. He could trade off responsibilities with Tyler Herro, with both players able to do plenty on or off-ball.
He’s slightly undersized at just 6-foot-3, but has a high IQ, high-feel game with plenty of room to grow.
Thought of to be a potential franchise-changing player prior to the cycle, Traore’s had a rough season, seeing virtually the same lower scoring output and inefficient splits with Saint Quentin of the LNB Elite, albeit with some better passing.
While Traore has fallen down boards, he still a great combination of size, skill and athleticism, as well as a two-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio in a good pro league.
Should the Heat want to swing for the fences on an essential reclamation project, they could do so in Traore, who still has sky-high potential.
