Ryan Conwell agrees to deal with Heat. Details and more feedback on the rookie
Two days before the start of summer league play, the Heat signed second-round draft pick Ryan Conwell to a three-year contract on Wednesday.
Barring something unforeseen, he’s set to make his Heat debut when Miami plays San Antonio in the California Classic at 8 p.m. Friday in San Francisco.
Conwell will make $1.3 million this season, with 50 percent of his salary guaranteed in 2027-28 and a team option on the third season.
Conwell would be eligible for restricted free agency in July 2029. It’s similar in structure to the deal that the Heat gave Pelle Larsson after drafting him in the second round in June 2024.
After the Heat’s first-round selection at No. 13 overall went to the Bucks as part of the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, Miami dealt the 41st overall selection in the second round and cash to the Oklahoma City Thunder in order to draft Conwell 37th. Miami jumped Boston, which picked 40th and reportedly had interest in the guard.
Conwell, who is 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, averaged 18.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 40.8% from the field, 34.5% on threes and 83.2% from the foul line as a senior at Louisville last season. He’s a volume shooter, having averaged 9.6 three-point attempts per game last season.
Conwell made 38.4% of his 800-plus three-point attempts during his final three years in college, including 41.1% of his 567 catch-and-shoot threes.
Conwell, who turned 22 on June 15 and watched the draft from his hometown of Indianapolis, began his college career South Florida before transferring to Indiana State for his sophomore season and Xavier for his junior season, and then closing his college career at Louisville.
“Well, clearly we’re trying to identify players that have a shooting skill, and he certainly does,” Heat vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager Adam Simon said last week.
“He’s projected overall as a 37% shooter, which would have been in the top percentile of 650 players that we had studied. And his athleticism is off the charts. He’s a competitor, he’s a gym rat, he’s the type of player I know our coaches are going to love, and he’s a great teammate. I think he’ll slot in perfectly.”
ESPN lead college basketball analyst Jay Bilas said Conwell “has deep range and is not shy. He averaged close to 21 points vs ranked teams last year. He can shoot it off the catch, can shoot it off the bounce. He really shoots it well in transition. Excellent free throw shooter. He has a big, strong body, can play fast.”
ESPN’s Bobby Marks said Conwell’s athlete testing produced results similar to Minnesota All Star guard Anthony Edwards, according to the people who oversaw the tests.
ESPN’s King McClure said what stands out about Conwell is “his ability to be an on-ball defender. He was able to stop the ball at the point of attack. He can cause havoc up top. That’s where he has grown the most. He’s a bucket getter.”
Miami now essentially has 12 players, though Tim Hardaway Jr. cannot be signed until July 6, and Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis cannot be officially acquired until that day as well.
This story was originally published July 1, 2026 at 6:08 PM.
