The NBA Draft is less than two weeks away, but the Miami Heat’s preference at No. 15 remains a mystery.
Regardless of his choice, it seems likely that the prospect will be present when the pick is announced. The Heat are linked to Jared McCain (Duke), Nikola Topic (KK Crvena Zvezda) and Isaiah Collier (USC) ahead of the draft. Each of the prospects officially received an invitation to the green room, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
McCain’s scoring consistency at all three levels is the most intriguing part of his game. The Heat’s front office tends to favor versatile players such as Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jovic. Also worth noting is the energy the 6-foot-3 McCain brings off the field due to his cheerful personality and extensive social media presence. It would be interesting to see how this would tie in with the colorful Jimmy Butler.
The subject is least likely to slip on the selection boards despite a partial ACL tear in his left knee. He was widely considered a top-5 pick before the news, which means it’s hard to see him losing 10 more picks to Miami. Topic is praised for his high basketball IQ as well as his proven ability to run an offense.
Collier is the smallest name in the group, but could become the best of the three. He averaged 16.3 points, 4.3 assists and 1.5 steals on 49 percent shooting during a 27-game freshman campaign. He would have the opportunity to develop behind star guards Terry Rozier and Tyler Herro if he is selected by the Heat.
Anthony Pasciolla works as a contributing writer at Inside the Heat. He can be reached at [email protected] or follow him on @AnthonyPasci.
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