Ira Winderman: Trading No. 13 pick could build Heat a better future
MIAMI — Had the odds been beaten at the NBA draft lottery, had the Miami Heat moved into one of the top four selections, a case could have been made for a claim of malpractice had the team then turned around and agreed to trade such a pick. Such opportunities come around only so often, with this draft unique in terms of its top-tier talent. But the Heat didn’t beat those odds.
And at No. 13, the calculus is completely different. Therefore, moving off No.
13 might ultimately be the best play. Why? Because of Pelle Larsson, Kasparas Jakucionis, Jaime Jaquez Jr.
, Kel’el Ware and perhaps, still, Nikola Jovic. While the ongoing playoffs might make it feel otherwise, by the Heat moving off of Duncan Robinson last summer it allowed Erik Spoelstra and his staff to better serve the developmental wing of the roster. Considering the Heat will continue to play to win, and therefore continue to play veterans for consistent minutes, the youth pipeline potentially could prove clogged by yet another mid-tier first-round pick.
That isn’t to say there won’t be quality there at No. 13. There will.