NBA Draft: Worst pick every current general manager has made

Worst NBA draft pick Miami Heat general manager Andy Elisburg has made: Shabazz Napier

There are many reasons a draft pick can be bad in retrospect. The Miami Heat are known for getting most things right so mistakes certainly stand out when they are made. However, when there is a play made that is so desperate that the NBA laughs in unison. The Heat tried their best to appease LeBron James as he was entering free agency by drafting a player he tweeted about during the NCAA Tournament.

Shabazz Napier took the University of Connecticut on a memorable run to a National Title and James, among others, celebrated the performances he put on from game to game. The Miami Heat traded up two spots in the draft, giving up two second-round selections (one that year and one in 2019) as well as cash to do so. Their desperation did not pay off and LeBron James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers 15 days after the draft.

Napier was never able to recapture the magic of his run in the NCAA tournament and he averaged 5.1 points,2.5 assists and 2.2 rebounds in his lone season on South Beach. He was traded after one season for a conditional second-round pick. Napier would go on to play for the Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers, Brooklyn Nets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Washington Wizards.