Heat idling (however inquiring?) as they wait for No

MIAMI– The administrative components mainly were taken care of Tuesday, with the Heat ensuring the contract of Keshad Johnson and extending certifying offers to Davion Mitchell and Dru Smith.

The main dish of totally free agency begins at 6 p.m. Monday, with the signing frenzy that could reset a league just now settling in with the Oklahoma City Thunder at the NBA’s brand-new champ.

And in between, comes today’s NBA draft, tipping off at 8 p.m. at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

For the Heat, the action will not start until after the midpoint of tonight’s first round, holding the No. 20 selection, the choice gotten from the Golden State Warriors in the Jimmy Butler trade.

For now, there is the speculation of the option potentially being Walter Clayton Jr., the undersized scoring guard with the big heart who helped lead the University of Florida to this year’s NCAA championship.

But it likewise is a pick that might be in play for a trade, with the Heat potentially to reset a draft future that has the group’s first-round choices in 2027 and ’28 out of play for a trade, with one of those selections going to the Charlotte Hornets to complete the 2024 acquisition of Terry Rozier.

Ahead of the draft, or perhaps even throughout, it is possible that Rozier’s contract is put into play, too, one of several for the Heat that ends after the coming season. There also is now speculation of the Heat carrying on from Andrew Wiggins, the prime component gotten from the Warriors in the Butler trade.

Because regard, the Heat already are warmed up when it concerns the trade market, having actually come up short over the weekend in a quote for Kevin Durant, who instead was dealt by the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Firecrackers.

Normally, the Heat do not deal on the day of the draft, a minimum of nothing of substance. But this also is not a normal juncture for the Heat, coming off a 37-45 season, a third-consecutive play-in appearance and a first-round record-setting playoff embarrassment at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

That, in numerous methods, has it as go-time for the Heat, ahead of an offseason when extension windows open for Tyler Herro, Nikola Jovic and others on the lineup.

Already, it has actually been a league in motion, with Demond Bane going from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Orlando Magic, Jrue Holiday going from the Boston Celtics to the Portland Path Blazers, Kristaps Porzingis from the Celtics to the Atlanta Hawks, CJ McCollum to the Washington Wizards and others expected to be on the move in brief order.

In truth, it will take a trade for the Heat to make it more than an one-night stand during the draft, currently without a selection in Thursday night’s second round, that selection dealt back in 2019 to the Indiana Pacers in the draft-night trade for KZ Okpala.

2025 NBA draft order

Round 1

1. Dallas Mavericks

2. San Antonio Spurs

3. Philadelphia 76ers

4. Charlotte Hornets

5. Utah Jazz

6. Washington Wizards

7. New Orleans Pelicans

8. Brooklyn Nets

9. Toronto Raptors

10. Phoenix Suns

11. Portland Trail Blazers

12. Chicago Bulls

13. Atlanta Hawks (from Sacramento)

14. San Antonio Spurs (from Atlanta)

15. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Miami by means of Clippers)

16. Memphis Grizzlies (from Orlando)

17. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Detroit by means of New York City, Oklahoma City, and Houston)

18. Washington Wizards (from Memphis)

19. Brooklyn Internet (from Milwaukee through New York City, Detroit, Portland, and New Orleans)

20. Miami Heat (from Golden State)

21. Utah Jazz (from Minnesota)

22. Brooklyn Nets (from Lakers through New Orleans and Atlanta)

23. New Orleans Pelicans (from Indiana)

24. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Clippers)

25. Orlando Magic (from Denver)

26. Brooklyn Nets

27. Brooklyn Nets

28. Boston Celtics

29. Phoenix Suns

30. Los Angeles Clippers

Initially Published: June 25, 2025 at 8:30 AM EDT