Why the Miami Heat shouldn’t trade into 2018 NBA Draft

Absent of a pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not the Miami Heat feel the need to acquire one.

The Miami Heat are at a crossroads heading into this offseason.

After qualifying for the playoffs, they were quickly eliminated in five games by the Philadelphia 76ers, a sign that the team needs more in order to compete moving forward.

Without a pick in the upcoming 2018 NBA Draft or enough cap space to make a splash in free agency, there seems to be very little Miami can do to improve its title chances.

Ever since LeBron James went home in the summer of 2014, the Heat have been searching for that next superstar that could help them get back to championship contention.

A team constructed with a blend of youth and experience, Miami plays a physical brand of basketball that allows it to thrive without a traditional alpha. That style of play will only get one so far, as the Heat lack a traditional go-to scorer, hindering their offense when it becomes stagnant.

Goran Dragic averaged 17.3 points per game this past season, but that simply isn’t enough to lead a title-contending team. Miami needs someone who can score 20+ while carrying most of the offensive burden.

To acquire an offensive star, Pat Riley and co. could look to make a package surrounding future picks and youngsters like Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson in order to gain a high lottery selection.

Hoping to keep LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers may be willing to part with the eighth selection in exchange for talent that could help them win now and in the future.

Obtaining a top pick would allow Miami to select someone like Michael Porter Jr., who, barring any reoccurring health issues, is projected to be a face-of-the-franchise type scoring threat.

While MPJ would accelerate their ascension in the NBA’s hierarchy, if the Heat are to enter the draft, it will most likely be in the form of a late first, or probably a second round pick. It feels unlikely they’d have the assets to entice a team in the top 10 to make a trade, especially in Cleveland where James’ future is still up in the air.

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Whichever team decides to trade with Miami would probably ask for one of their better role players. Such a deal could prove beneficial for the Heat, though, as quite a few gems have been found late in prior drafts.

Draymond Green, Manu Ginobili and Isaiah Thomas were all taken after the 30th pick, and yet all have beaten the odds to be considered some of the league’s best at one point or another.

They may make for great success stories, but all three (and any second round stud, for that matter) should also be looked at as outliers — rare victories in a talent pool littered with players who didn’t make it as far.

Most guys taken outside the lottery, and especially in the second round, fail to materialize into consistent contributors, so why would the Heat part with players they know to be exactly that?

Miami’s issue isn’t that of the Cleveland Cavaliers, where it’s failed to surround a singular star with a competent supporting cast. In fact, it’s the opposite. The Heat have depth at every position, but lack that one guy who can lead them on a nightly basis.

They could take a flier on a late first-rounder and hope he turns into the next Kyle Kuzma, but the odds of that happening are slim to none, and they don’t appear worth it if it means parting ways with players contributing to the cause.

Unless the Heat are guaranteed to draft a potential franchise leader, it makes little to no sense to acquire a low-level draft pick, as their ceiling probably won’t be that of the guys already on the roster.

If Miami really wants to acquire someone via the draft, they should look to buy a pick, similar to what the Golden State Warriors did in order to acquire rookie Jordan Bell last summer.

Next: 2018 NBA Mock Draft - Doncic still No. 1 in post-lottery edition

It may require spending more money, but the Heat have never been one to hold off on spending in the name of winning.