THE 2024 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft is rapidly approaching, with each team making their final preparations ahead of adding some young talent to the best competition in the world.

There are some seriously impressive prospects available, with the crop stretching all around the globe as more international players begin to gain recognition. Suddenly, the collegiate system is not the only method to joining the NBA, which has allowed a broader range of players to compete at the top level.

With the NBA wrapping up the 2023/24 season as we speak, the teams already eliminated have spent the past few weeks considering which players they will select to prepare for the future, and the recent Draft Lottery saw the official order determined.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will be taking a look at each team and how their draft will potentially pan out on June 26-27. With all 30 sides in their own unique situation, there is plenty to unpack ahead of the next injection of exciting players.

On the cards today are the Miami Heat, who could retool their roster over the off-season after regressing from recent playoff success with a roster that is only getting older, but still has match-winning talent.

Miami Heat

Draft Selections

15, 43

Contracted Players

Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Terry Rozier, Duncan Robinson, Caleb Martin (player option), Kevin Love (player option), Jaime Jaquez Jr., Josh Richardson (player option), Thomas Bryant (player option), Nikola Jovic (team option), Orlando Robinson

After fighting their way out of the play-in tournament and losing in the first round, the Heat showed they are not up to par with the contending sides, and with some big moves potentially on the cards, the draft looms as an important method of adding quality players for the future.

Armed with the final pick of the top 15, Miami should be able to address key areas on its roster, which currently stands at the point guard position. Although Rozier was traded to the team mid-season, the playmaking and ball-handling has fallen into the hands of Herro, Butler and even Adebayo at times, all of whom should be freed up to impact in other ways.

One player that could be of interest for the Heat is Isaiah Collier, who is one of the most intriguing point guards in the draft class. At six-foot-five, the size is an immediate positive for him, fitting the bill in the modern trend of taller guards.

He is an extremely fast ball-handler who can explode past the defence to get to the rim and provide ‘blink and you will miss it’ scoring plays. Although he may not be an immediate starter for Miami given his room for improvement on the shooting front and high amount of turnovers, but if given minutes off the bench, he could thrive in the Heat’s highly-touted culture.

If Rob Dillingham is still on the board, there is no doubt that the Heat will consider him given his tremendous fit next to Adebayo in the two-man game, as the point guard can make tough passes and has a strong floater game.

With their second selection, the Heat could take a punt on Illinois wing Terrance Shannon Jr., who offers strong defensive traits as well as innate ability to score downhill. Miami has an excellent reputation of developing players within its system, and Shannon Jr. would benefit in a big way from putting in the work on his offensive game throughout the first couple of seasons of his career.