As Giannis wait continues, a look at wings who could be available for Heat at No. 13 in 2026 Draft
As the Miami Heat waits for a final answer from the Milwaukee Bucks on Giannis Antetokounmpo, the start of the NBA Draft nears.
If the Heat and Bucks can’t reach an agreement on a trade that sends Antetokounmpo to Miami before next week’s draft, the Heat could be on the clock with the 13th overall pick in the first round in just a few days. The two-day NBA Draft will take place Tuesday (first round) and Wednesday (second round).
The Heat’s first-round selection at No. 13 is expected to be part of any trade offer to the Bucks for Antetokounmpo. But if the Heat misses out on Antetokounmpo, the Heat may end up keeping the 13th overall selection.
The Miami Herald’s three-part NBA Draft preview continues with a look at the wings who are expected to be selected in the Heat’s range in the first round (if Miami keeps the pick). The Heat also holds a second-round pick in next week’s draft at No. 41 overall.
The wing candidates for the Heat’s first-round selection at No. 13 include Baylor’s Cameron Carr, Duke’s Isaiah Evans, Connecticut’s Alex Karaban, BYU’s Richie Saunders and Texas’ Dailyn Swain.
BYU’s AJ Dybantsa is widely considered the best wing (and arguably the best player) in the 2026 draft class, and he will be selected before it’s Miami’s turn to pick in the first round.
WHAT TO KNOW
Carr, 21, has the potential to become a quality two-way wing at the NBA level. Carr has impressive measurables at 6-foot-4 with a 7-foot wingspan. Carr is also an explosive athlete who shot the ball efficiently last season, averaging 18.9 points per game while shooting 49.4% from the field, 37.4% from three-point range and 80.1% from the foul line as a redshirt sophomore at Baylor. Carr also averaged 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.3 blocks per game last season. But Carr will need to continue to fill out his frame, as he weighed in at just 184 pounds at the Draft Combine. Carr also needs to continue to get better on the defensive end, but his length gives him the potential to develop into a plus-defender.
Evans’ NBA skill is his three-point shooting, and the fact that he stands nearly 6-7 in shoes helps, too. Evans, 20, averaged 15 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 43.3% from the field and 36.1% on 7.4 three-point attempts per game as a sophomore at Duke last season. But Evans will need to put on weight (now 186 pounds) and continue to grow as a defender to reach his full three-and-D potential at the NBA level.
Karaban is one of the older prospects in the Heat’s range, as he will turn 24 in November. But Karaban is known as a winning basketball player who can contribute on both ends of the court, and is likely more ready to contribute productive minutes in the NBA than the younger prospects in the Heat’s range. Karaban (6-6 and 225 pounds) averaged 13.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 46.4% from the field, 37.4% on threes and 85.1% from the foul line as a redshirt senior at Connecticut last season. Karaban is a smart player who helped his team win a lot of games in college. While he may have a lower ceiling than a lot of prospects because of his age, his floor is also seemingly higher because of his well-rounded complementary skill set.
Saunders is another older prospect who turns 25 in September. He’s also returning from a torn ACL that he sustained in February. Those two things mean Saunders will probably be picked after the Heat’s turn at No. 13. But he’s still around Miami’s range in the first round, and his three-point shooting is what’s drawing the attention of NBA scouts. Saunders (6-5 and 204 pounds) averaged 18 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 48.9% from the field and 37.6% on 6.8 three-point attempts per game as a senior at BYU last season. But the fact that Saunders will be 25 before he plays in his first NBA game raises this big question: How much better can Saunders really get once he’s drafted?
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Swain has major upside as a 20-year-old who stands 6-6 and 211 pounds with a 6-foot-10 wingspan. He averaged 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 54.2% from the field and 34.4% on threes as a junior at Texas last season. Swain’s biggest strength is his driving ability, getting into the paint consistently and proving to be an excellent finisher once he got to the basket in college. Swain also has upside to become a solid defender in the NBA. But Swain needs to get better as an outside shooter to reach his full potential. He shot just 15.4% on threes as a freshman and 25% on threes as a sophomore before making 30-plus% of his threes last season. But Swain took only 2.6 three-point attempts per game last season.
WHAT ARE OTHERS SAYING?
There’s a lack of quality wing depth in the Heat’s range, and the latest mock drafts for ESPN, The Athletic and Yahoo Sports have all five of these wings projected to be drafted after Miami’s pick at No. 13.
