The Miami Heat had the 20th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and selected guard Kasparas Jakucionis out of Illinois. Let’s take a look at the Heat best NBA draft picks in franchise history. It’s not necessarily the 10 best players ranked in order as where they were selected was taken into consideration. Only time with the team is credited. We shall see if Jakucionis, or another active Heat draft pick such as Nikola Jovic or Kel’el Ware can play their way onto the list in the near future. Miami has only had 63 official draft picks prior to this year, so there wasn’t a laundry list of players to choose from.
10 Best NBA Draft Picks In Miami Heat History
10. Jaime Jacquez Jr. (18th overall, 2023)
In his rookie year, Jaime Jacquez Jr. finished fourth in Rookie of the Year and ninth in Sixth Man of the Year voting. While his numbers decreased a bit in his second year, he is still just 24 years old. Last season, he recorded a triple-double and had a 41-point outing.
9. Steve Smith (5th overall, 1991)
While he played just three seasons for the Heat, Steve Smith’s ascension as a great scorer began with Miami. In 1992-93 and 1993-94, he combined to average 16.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists. Smith made 16 of his 33 three-point postseason tries with Miami.
8. Sherman Douglas (28th overall, 1989)
Known as ‘The General’, Sherman Douglas’ 1990-91 season mostly lands him on the list. While he played just two full seasons for Miami, he outplayed his draft position, especially that year. He averaged 18.5 points (on 50.4% shooting), 8.5 assists, and 1.7 steals in that season.
7. Josh Richardson (40th overall, 2015)
Now in his second stint with the Heat, Josh Richardson was a longtime starter for the team in the late 2010s. In 2018-19, he averaged career-highs across the board in scoring (16.6), rebounding (3.6), and assists (4.1). He also averaged 2.4 stocks (steals and blocks) in 2017-18.
6. Grant Long (33rd overall, 1988)
A hard-nosed player, Grant Long started 375 games for Miami despite being a second round selection. Twice, he averaged at least 14 points, and four times averaged more than seven rebounds. He totaled four games of at least 30 points.
5. Rony Seikaly (9th overall, 1988)
The 1989-90 Most Improved Player, Rony Seikaly played six seasons for the Heat. In the last five, the 6-foot-11 center averaged at least 15.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in each. He is fourth in team history in both rebounds (4,544) and blocks (610).
4. Glen Rice (4th overall, 1989)
While his three All-Star appearances came in the three years after he left Miami, Glen Rice had a productive six years with the Heat. Three times with the team, he averaged more than 20 points per contest. Rice made at least two threes per game twice with the Heat and shot 38.6% from deep with the team.
3. Tyler Herro (13th overall, 2019)
Last season, Tyler Herro became a first-time All-Star. The 6-foot-5 guard was Sixth Man of the Year in 2021-22 and led the league in free-throw accuracy the following year. Still just 25 years old, Herro has averaged at least 20 points, five rebounds, and four assists in each of the last four seasons.
2. Bam Adebayo (14th overall, 2017)
Now an eight-year veteran, Bam Adebayo has developed into one of the best two-way centers in the league. He’s made three All-Star teams and finished top-five in Defensive Player of the Year voting for five straight seasons spanning from 2019-20 until 2023-24. The Heat have made the NBA Finals twice with Adebayo playing a large role.
1. Dwyane Wade (5th overall, 2003)
The obvious choice to be at the top, Dwyane Wade holds practically every Heat record. He won three championships with the team, Finals MVP in 2006, and a scoring title in 2008-09. Wade made 13 All-Star, eight All-NBA, and three All-Defensive teams during his Miami tenure.
Photo credit: © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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