Miami Heat: 5 second round prospects worth buying a pick for

The Miami Heat don’t own a second round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Nonetheless, here are five prospects worth knowing in case they were to acquire one.

Most pundits consider the 2017 NBA Draft class one of the deepest in recent memory. The teams picking in the top eight — which will be littered with talents like Lonzo Ball, Josh Jackson and Jayson Tatum — will reap the largest benefits. However, the after-effects of such a loaded draft up top means there’s sure to be a trickle-down of talent that will reward multiple organizations.

And that trickle-down will likely go all the way down through the end of the first round and into the top of the second. As such, many of those same draft analysts also believe this year’s second round will yield various serviceable role players.

Currently, the Miami Heat do not own a second round pick. Miami traded them away by attaching them to bad contracts in order to get under the luxury tax. (Goes without saying, it was the right move; there’s no reason for team owner Micky Arison to be footing a huge bill for a team merely fighting for playoff contention.)

Unfortunately, that means it won’t be easy for Pat Riley’s team to get in on the fun. Making it doubly painful for Heat fans is the fact that Miami has been excellent in the second round. Guys like Josh Richardson, Mario Chalmers and Rasual Butler were all taken between picks No. 31 and No. 60.

Nonetheless, there’s still some hope. After all, the South Florida franchise didn’t have a second round pick in 2013 either, but still found a way to acquire one in order to take a player they really liked in James Ennis.

If that were to happen again this year, here are five guys worth taking a gamble on in the second round.