A look at wings who could be available for the Miami Heat at No. 20 in the 2020 Draft
With Wednesday’s NBA Draft just days away, who are some of the options the Miami Heat will have with the 20th pick in the first round?
After focusing on the Heat’s guard options, the three-part draft preview continues. Here’s a look at the wing players who are expected to be selected in Miami’s range.
The wing candidates include TCU’s Desmond Bane, Villanova’s Saddiq Bey, Arizona’s Josh Green, Washington’s Jaden McDaniels, Vanderbilt’s Aaron Nesmith, Florida State’s Devin Vassell and Mississippi State’s Robert Woodard II. The list also includes Leandro Bolmaro, who spent last season playing overseas for FC Barcelona.
While a few of those names are expected to be selected before it’s the Heat’s turn at No. 20, there’s still quality depth and a few upside picks who should be available if Miami wants to add another wing via the draft.
Deni Avdija, Isaac Okoro and Patrick Williams are widely considered the best wings in the 2020 draft class, and they will almost definitely be selected before it’s the Heat’s turn to pick if it doesn’t trade up.
WHAT TO KNOW
While there is a small chance they could fall to the Heat, the expectation is Bey, Nesmith and Vassell will also be taken before Miami’s pick.
Bey (6-8, 216) averaged 16.1 points while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 45.1 percent on threes, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists as a sophomore at Villanova last season. While he may not have the highest upside, he has a high floor and projects as a quality 3-and-D wing in the NBA. Bey, 21, does a lot well on both offense and defense, and is a prospect who’s likely more ready than most to play important minutes as a rookie. Shooting is a big part of Bey’s game, as he made 45 percent of his threes on 5.6 attempts per game last season.
As for Nesmith, he’s arguably the best shooter in the draft class. Nesmith (6-6, 213) averaged 23 points while shooting 51.2 percent from the field, 52.2 percent on threes and 82.5 percent from the foul line, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals as a sophomore at Vanderbilt last season. While he still needs to improve as a playmaker and finisher around the basket, his elite shooting ability makes him an intriguing prospect for a league that values outside shooting more than almost every other skill. Also working in Nesmith’s favor? He has the tools to become a solid defender who can guard multiple positions at the next level with his 6-10 wingspan. Nesmith, who turned 21 in October, confirmed that he worked out privately for the Heat in advance of the draft, but he’s projected to be taken well before Miami’s current spot at No. 20.
Vassell (6-7, 194) will almost surely be taken before the Heat’s pick, too. As a sophomore at Florida State last season, he averaged 12.7 points on 49 percent shooting from the field and 41.5 percent shooting on threes, 5.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists. Vassell, 20, is another wing in this draft class who projects as a quality 3-and-D player in the NBA. He’s a smart defender who can defend multiple positions because of his frame and length with a 6-10 wingspan. And he also made 41.5 percent of his threes on 3.5 attempts per game last season. This was a breakout sophomore season for Vassell, who averaged just 4.5 points in 10.7 minutes as a freshman.
The other five wing prospects on this list are more realistic options for the Heat at pick No. 20.
Bane (6-6, 215) averaged 16.6 points while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 44.2 percent on threes, 6.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists as a senior at TCU last season. The 22-year-old four-year college player doesn’t seem to have as much upside as other prospects in this group, but he has a skill set that could make him an immediate contributor as an NBA rookie. He’s a knockdown shooter who has displayed the ability to make threes on the move and in spot-up situations. Bane shot 44.2 percent on threes as a senior last season and 43.3 percent during his entire college career. Despite just a 6-5 wingspan, Bane also has flashed the potential be a solid defender at the next level. He’s another prospect who fits that 3-and-D mold.
Green is another option with those 3-and-D skills, but he comes with some upside as a prospect who turned 20 on Monday. He averaged 12 points on 42.4 percent shooting from the field and 36.1 percent shooting on threes, 4.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals as a freshman at Arizona last season. Green has the frame (6-6 and 210 pounds with a 6-10 wingspan) and skills to be a quality versatile defender in the NBA. He can also make outside shots, as he hit 46.7 percent of his threes during the final 10 games of his freshman season. From Australia, Green underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder in 2019.
McDaniels (6-9, 200) is an upside pick who will be attractive to teams because of his combination of size, length and athleticism, but he underwhelmed in his lone college season after entering as a five-star high school recruit. He averaged 12.5 points while shooting 40.2 percent from the field and 34.6 percent on threes, 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists as a freshman at Washington last season. McDaniels, who turned 20 in September, has the potential to be a dynamic player with his ability to score off the dribble and knock down outside shots at his size. And with a near 7-foot wingspan, McDaniels also has the length and athleticism to become a versatile defender in the NBA. But he’ll need to continue to add weight to his frame.
A lot of mocks have Woodard (6-7, 235) going in the second round, but he’s a prospect who seems to fit today’s NBA game with his combination of length and shooting. After starting just one game as a freshman, he averaged 11.4 points while shooting 49.5 percent from the field and 42.9 percent on threes, 6.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and one block in 31 starts as a sophomore at Mississippi State last season. With a 7-1 wingspan and plus athleticism, Woodard has the potential to be a versatile defender who can also help space the floor with his outside shooting at the next level.
Bolmaro is a draft-and-stash option with impressive playmaking skills for a 6-7 prospect. He’s not expected to jump to the NBA immediately, as he recently agreed to a new three-year contract with FC Barcelona that ends in 2023. Bolmaro, a 20-year-old from Argentina, enters the draft with a scouting report of a prospect who’s a creative passer and ball-handler but needs to improve as an outside shooter to reach his full potential as an offensive weapon.
WHAT ARE OTHERS SAYING?
ESPN’s latest mock draft has Vassell (11th to San Antonio Spurs), Bey (13th to New Orleans Pelicans), Nesmith (17th to Minnesota Timberwolves) and Green (19th to Brooklyn Nets) being picked before the Heat’s turn at No. 20.
The Ringer’s latest mock draft has Bey (11th to Spurs), Vassell (13th to Pelicans) and Nesmith (19th to Nets) being selected ahead of Miami’s pick.
The Athletic’s latest mock draft has Nesmith (10th to Phoenix Suns), McDaniels (11th to Spurs), Vassell (12th to Sacramento Kings) and Bey (19th to Nets) being drafted before the Heat’s selection.
The consensus is that Bey, Nesmith and Vassell will be off the board before No. 20.
After Avdija, Vassell, Okoro, Williams, Bey and Nesmith, The Ringer has Bane as the next-highest ranked wing in the draft class.
“High-IQ guard who plays hard,” The Ringer wrote of Bane. “He already has a veteran skill set and projects favorably as a rotation player.”
BOTTOM LINE FOR HEAT
A team can never have too many quality two-way wings on its roster in today’s NBA. There should be a few prospects who have the potential to fit that label when it’s the Heat’s turn to pick in the first round.
The Heat’s depth chart could be a little crowded at wing, though, depending on what happens with impending free agents Jae Crowder and Derrick Jones Jr. Miami will try to re-sign both, although Crowder could be more likely to return since Jones is expected to be interested in long-term security at this point in his NBA career that the Heat isn’t in position to give. In the hypothetical scenario that Crowder returns, Miami’s list of wings would include Jimmy Butler, Crowder, Andre Iguodala and KZ Okpala.
But if the Heat wants to continue to stock up on two-way wings, it will likely have some to choose from at No. 20. And with the possibility that both Crowder and Jones could sign elsewhere in free agency, adding wing depth could turn out to be a proactive move.
This story was originally published November 16, 2020 at 10:50 AM.
