As Giannis wait drags on, a look at bigs who could be available for Heat at No. 13 in 2026 Draft
The NBA Draft is almost here, but most of the league’s attention is on the future of two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
But if the Heat and Milwaukee Bucks can’t reach an agreement on a trade that sends Antetokounmpo to Miami before the start of the NBA Draft, the Heat could soon be on the clock with the 13th overall pick in the first round. 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. The Heat remains among the most aggressive teams in pursuit of Antetokounmpo and Antetokounmpo has interest in being dealt to the Heat, according to league sources.
With Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam making clear recently that the team would like to make a decision on Antetokounmpo’s future with the organization by the NBA Draft, the Heat hopes to have some clarity on its pursuit of him in the next few days.
The Miami Herald’s three-part NBA Draft preview concludes with a look at the bigs 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 big man candidates for the Heat’s first-round selection at No. 13 include Tennessee’s Nate Ament, Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr., Santa Clara’s Allen Graves, Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson, Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr., international prospect Karim Lopez, Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan’s Aday Mara, Arizona’s Koa Peat, Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance and Washington’s Hannes Steinbach.
Duke’s Cameron Boozer and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson are widely considered the best bigs in the 2026 draft class, and they will be selected before it’s Miami’s turn to pick in the first round.
WHAT TO KNOW
The team that selects Ament (6-foot-9 and 210 pounds) will do so because of his intriguing upside. Ament, 19, wasn’t dominant in his lone freshman season, averaging 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game as a freshman at Tennessee last season. He was actually one of the most inefficient players in the country, shooting just 39.9% from the field, 33.3% on threes and 79% from the foul line. According to CBB Analytics, Ament’s 45.2 effective field-goal percentage ranked in the 14th percentile nationally. However, if Ament can add muscle to his thin frame and continue to develop as an outside shooter and defender, he has the type of skill set and natural ability to grow into a quality three-and-D player at the NBA level.
Cenac, 19, is another high-upside prospect who some pre-draft evaluators have labeled as a “project.” At 6-10 and 239 pounds with a 7-5 wingspan, Cenac has the physical tools to be successful in the NBA. But Cenac’s lone college season showed he still has plenty of room to grow, as he averaged 9.5 rebounds, 7.9 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 0.5 blocks per game while shooting 48.5% from the field, 33.3% on threes and 62.1% at the foul line as a freshman at Houston. Cenac will need to improve as a rim protector and round out his offensive game to become a consistent contributor at the next level.
Graves (6-7 and 225 pounds) is an interesting prospect who is one of the analytics darlings of this year’s draft class because of his positive impact on the possession battle. But Graves, 19, isn’t known as a plus athlete and most of his top-end production came against weaker competition at Santa Clara. Graves averaged 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.9 blocks and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 51.2% from the field and 41.3% from three-point range as a redshirt freshman at Santa Clara last season.
Jefferson is an older prospect, as he turns 23 in November. But Jefferson is also believed to have a higher basketball IQ than most prospects in this year’s class. Jefferson (6-7 and 246 pounds) is one of the best passing bigs in the class, as he averaged 4.8 assists per game as a senior at Iowa State last season. Jefferson also averaged 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 47.1% from the field and 34.5% on threes last season. But Jefferson is a bit of a tweener, shorter than most NBA small-ball centers and not as athletic as most NBA forwards.
Johnson is an athletic big who can guard multiple positions despite standing 6-9 and 250 pounds with an impressive 7-3 wingspan. Johnson, 20, averaged 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 62.3% from the field, 34.3% on threes and 78.2% from the foul line as a sophomore at Michigan last season. Comparing Johnson to Heat three-time All-Star center Bam Adebayo is unfair, but it’s hard not to think of Adebayo when evaluating Johnson’s standout defensive versatility at his size. For Johnson to reach his full potential, he will need to continue to grow his offensive game and possibly even develop a reliable three-point shot. He shot 12 of 35 from three-point range last season in college.
Lopez, who was born and raised in Mexico, is an international prospect who spent the last two years in NBL Next Stars playing for the New Zealand Breakers. Lopez (6-8 and 221 pounds) just turned 19 in April, averaging 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, two assists 1.2 steals and one block per game while shooting 50.2% from the field and 32.6% on threes in New Zealand last season. Lopez plays with force and has a knack for grabbing rebounds. But he needs to improve as a defender and become a better outside shooter to find a consistent role in the NBA.
Lendeborg is one of the older prospects in the Heat’s range, as he will turn 24 before playing in his first NBA game. But Lendeborg is also one of the most NBA-ready players in the Heat’s range. Lendeborg is known for his excellent defense as a player who stands 6-8 and 241 pounds with a 7-3 wingspan, and was often used to guard every position while at Michigan. Lendeborg averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 51.5% from the field and 37.2% on threes at Michigan last season. Lendeborg, who was born in Puerto Rico, has the potential to become a very good three-and-D weapon at the NBA level.
Mara, who was born in Spain, is a skilled and smart center prospect with size. He’s 7-foot-3 and 259 pounds with a 7-6 wingspan, a high basketball IQ and a special passing ability for his position. Mara, 21, averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 66.8% from the field and 3 of 10 (30%) from three-point range as a junior at Michigan last season. Mara has great touch around the rim and projects to be a quality rim protector with his length. But Mara isn’t a floor spacer, and he will need to be used in drop coverage defensively as a traditional center.
Peat is an intriguing prospect with upside, as he’s still just 19 years old and has real two-way potential. Peat (6-7 and 245 pounds) averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 52.8% from the field, 35% from three-point range and 62.3% from the foul line as a freshman at Arizona last season. But Peat’s swing skill will be his three-point shooting. He’ll need to improve as an outside shooter and continue to grow as a defender to reach his full NBA potential.
Quaintance is a 19-year-old prospect with huge defensive upside, but he comes with some health concerns. After tearing his ACL in February 2025 at Arizona State, swelling in his surgically repaired right knee limited him to just four games at Kentucky last season. But if Quaintance can stay healthy, he has the potential to become a special defender in the NBA who can be used in various coverages and has the length to be a very effective rim protector. Quaintance stands 6-9 and 253 pounds with a 7-foot-5 wingspan. But Quaintance is limited offensively, so he will need to continue to round out that part of his game. He shot 18.8% on threes and 48.9% from the foul line as a freshman at Arizona State during the 2024-25 season.
Steinbach, who is from Germany, is a skilled big man who projects to be a standout rebounder at the NBA level. Steinbach (6-10 and 248 pounds) averaged 18.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 57.7% from the field and 18 of 53 (34%) on threes as a freshman at Washington last season. But Steinbach needs to get better on the defensive end and he’s not yet a true floor spacer.
WHAT ARE OTHERS SAYING?
The Athletic’s latest mock draft has the Heat selecting Steinbach with the 13th overall pick if it keeps the selection.
“I’m going with Steinbach here because he ticks a few boxes,” The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie wrote. “First and foremost, the Heat have essentially zero frontcourt depth right now beyond Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware. Steinbach, theoretically, can play both at the four and the five if his jumper comes around, although I am a lot more enthusiastic about his fit at the five.”
ESPN’s latest mock draft has the Heat taking Johnson with the 13th overall selection.
“Johnson continues to trend toward hearing his name called in the lottery, with the 12-to-15 range as his sweet spot,” ESPN’s Jeremy Woo wrote. “He has drawn positive feedback throughout the predraft process as teams have grown comfortable with him as a potential immediate contributor, with his plus physical tools and mobility helping cover for his lack of optimal height at center. If the Heat select here, he would immediately upgrade their frontline.”
This story was originally published June 21, 2026 at 12:04 PM.
