Miami Heat: 5 options for pick No. 14 in 2017 NBA Draft

1. Lauri Markkanen, PF/C, Arizona

It’s not particularly likely, but anything can happen on draft night. As such, the Heat’s most coveted prospect would probably be Arizona’s Lauri Markkanen.

The Finnish big man, despite his limited athleticism, length and defensive potential, would still be the easy choice at No. 14 for Miami.

Why?

Because he may be the best shooter in the draft. No, not just among power forwards; in the entire class. At least one of the experts over at Draft Express appears to believe so:

That’s not mere scuttlebutt, either. Markkanen has the numbers to back up the bold claim.

At Arizona, he shot 42.3 percent from three and 83.5 percent from the foul stripe. Not only that, but over his first 22 games as a college athlete (before he hit the freshman wall, which is absolutely a real thing), he was nailing an absurd 50.5 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

Considering that the Heat found long-term success when spacing the floor around Dragic and Dion Waiters‘ drives, with Whiteside acting as a rim-running battering ram, Markkanen is the perfect player to keep the good times rolling. He’d be a massive upgrade over Babbitt (at least offensively) because he’s a crafty ball-handler who can score in more ways besides just shooting.

His long-term outlook will depend on whether he ever becomes a serviceable defender. Scouts consider him a bit soft, as his intensity level on the defensive end tends to wane. Those concerns are real enough that they could knock him out of the top 10 entirely.

Next: 5 potential landing spots for Gordon Hayward in free agency

In fact, The Ringer’s latest mock draft actually has him falling to 14th, all the way onto Miami’s lap. Wouldn’t that be something?