Heat rumors: Miami's draft plans linked to star Florida guard
The post Heat rumors: Miami's draft plans linked to star Florida guard appeared first on ClutchPoints.
With the Miami Heat preparing for the NBA Draft with the first round on Wednesday, there are no doubt many fans who have their picks on who the team should select. While the Heat look to avoid making a mistake in the NBA Draft, the team's recent selections have been anything but that, as the latest report connects a college player staying in-state.
Advertisement
ClutchPoints' NBA insider Brett Siegel would have Miami taking the University of Florida's Walter Clayton Jr. with the 20th overall pick after the guard led his program to a national title. Especially after missing out on trading for Kevin Durant, the team does need another scoring threat and a point guard, which Clayton fills in.
Plus, Siegel would report that the Heat picking the Gator has 'gained momentum among league personnel.'
'The Miami Heat are said to be valuing experienced prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft that can provide an instant impact on the court rather than youthful projects with long-term upside,' Siegel wrote. 'As a result, Walter Clayton Jr., who just led Florida to a national championship, can become the Heat's point guard next to Tyler Herro in the backcourt.'
'After missing out on trading for Durant, Miami needs to prioritize finding scoring threats next to Herro and Bam Adebayo,' Siegel continued. 'Outside of Herro, the Heat don't have other lead playmakers in their backcourt, which makes Clayton a high-upside pick for Pat Riley. Clayton to Miami has gained momentum among league personnel in recent days.'
Walter Clayton Jr. fits what the Heat needs
Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
After the Heat wasn't able to land Durant, as mentioned before, the team could look to the draft in building a foundation from their other first-round picks that have been successful. With the main duo of Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro leading Miami, other first-round picks such as last year's Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Nikola Jovic figure to be a big part next season, with Clayton's traits likely to fit in nicely.
Advertisement
'Clayton is a dynamic scorer and finisher with the ball in his hands who doesn't back down from a challenge,' Siegel wrote. 'He may be listed at 6-foot-2, but Clayton never shies away from contact and proved to be one of the best perimeter players off the dribble in the draft when he led the Gators to a title.'
At any rate, Miami is looking to improve after finishing with a 37-45 record, which put them 10th in the Eastern Conference before they were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
Related: Heat's 10 worst NBA Draft day mistakes in history
Related: Heat rumors: Miami's final Kevin Durant offer prior to Rockets trade, revealed
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Pacers Prepare for Expensive Roster Move After NBA Finals Loss
Pacers Prepare for Expensive Roster Move After NBA Finals Loss originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Indiana Pacers made an impressive run in the 2025 playoffs, coming just one win shy of capturing the first NBA championship in franchise history. Indiana won 15 postseason games but fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a tough Game 7 loss in the NBA Finals. Advertisement Adding to the heartbreak, the Pacers lost star point guard Tyrese Haliburton to an Achilles injury that will cost him most if not all of the 2025-26 season. Still, the team is determined to remain a contender in the Eastern Conference. Now, Indiana is ready to make moves to strengthen the roster that just reached the finals. One of those key moves appears to be retaining longtime center Myles Turner. According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst on an episode of "The Hoop Collective" podcast on June 1, the Pacers are preparing to re-sign Turner and are expected to go into the luxury tax for the first time in 20 years. Head coach Rick Carlisle and the Indiana Pacers have some roster decisions after losing in the NBA Finals and seeing star Tyrese Haliburton tear an Achilles in Game Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Turner, 29, has spent his entire NBA career with the Pacers after being selected 11th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft out of Texas. He earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors in 2016 and has twice led the league in blocked shots, most recently in 2021. Advertisement This past season, Turner played 72 regular-season games, averaging 30.2 minutes, 15.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. In the playoffs, Turner appeared in 23 games and averaged 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 29.3 minutes. In Game 7 of the finals, he played 24 minutes and posted six points with four rebounds. Turner just wrapped up a two-year, $40 million contract with Indiana. He is the longest tenured player on the team. The Pacers have not paid the luxury tax since the 2005-06 season. His contract is projected to put him in the top 10 of NBA centers. If re-signed, Turner will remain a core piece of a team hoping to make another deep playoff push, even with Haliburton sidelined. Related: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Is Better Than Michael Jordan, Claims Former Bulls Star Related: Luka Doncic Reportedly Makes Big Change in Physical Appearance This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Is Better Than Michael Jordan, Claims Former Bulls Star
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Is Better Than Michael Jordan, Claims Former Bulls Star originally appeared on Athlon Sports. There's no denying Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just delivered one of the most impressive seasons in NBA history. The Oklahoma City Thunder star led his team to a championship, outlasting the Indiana Pacers in seven games and capping a year that will be remembered for decades. Advertisement Now, the debate has turned to where Gilgeous-Alexander fits among the game's all-time greats. In doing so, the Thunder guard joined elite company. He became just the fourth player in NBA history to win a scoring title, regular-season MVP, and finals MVP in the same season, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal. That rare feat prompted former NBA All-Star Metta Sandiford-Artest, formerly known as Ron Artest, to drop a bold comparison: that at times, SGA is better than Michael Jordan. "People laughed at my quote with I said 'at times' @shaiglalex is better than MJ. Explain this . Shai is 1st ballot and will get more than 3 rings. That statement was originally made during the Western Conference finals between the Thunder and Timberwolves. In an interview with Essentially Sports, he expanded on the idea: Advertisement 'I think SGA is at times better than Michael Jordan. At times, when you look at SGA's games, he is the best basketball player that probably touched the front, top and bottom…Every move you ever dreamed of.' Speaking on the podcast "Casuals with Katie Nolan," Sandiford-Artest elaborated: "Michael Jordan's done things nobody has ever done, and it looks so elegant. But SGA, the way he plays the game, through the legs, behind the back, step back, crossover, spins, it's exactly how he wants to play it.' Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderAlonzo Adams-Imagn Images Gilgeous-Alexander, known for his smooth, methodical style and advanced footwork, has quickly risen to the top of the league. His ability to control tempo and get to his spots on the floor has drawn comparisons to past greats, but few expected his name to be mentioned alongside Jordan, let alone ahead of him. Advertisement Sandiford-Artest, a 6-foot-7 forward, played for the Chicago Bulls from 1999 to 2002 before helping Kobe Bryant and the Lakers win the 2010 NBA title. He was an All-Star in 2004 and played for six NBA teams during his career, which spanned from 1999 to 2017. He's perhaps best remembered for the 2004 'Malice at the Palace' brawl, which led to an 86-game suspension. Michael Jordan, of course, remains the gold standard. He was a six-time NBA champion and won finals MVP every time. He also claimed five regular season MVPs and was selected to 14 All-Star games. Jordan finished his career with 32,292 points, averaging 30.1 per game. Whether SGA ever reaches that kind of legacy is still up for debate, but in the eyes of at least one former All-Star, he's already there at times. Related: Kristaps Porzingis Used Two Words to Describe the Celtics After Being Traded Related: Luka Doncic Reportedly Makes Big Change in Physical Appearance This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Donovan Mitchell Sends Clear LeBron James Message on Friday
Donovan Mitchell Sends Clear LeBron James Message on Friday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the 2025 NBA Playoffs as one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference and popular pick to make the finals. But after winning just five total games in the postseason, their run came to a disappointing end. Advertisement That failure wasn't because of Donovan Mitchell. The Cavaliers' leading scorer delivered in the second round against the Indiana Pacers, scoring 33 or more points in four of the five games. In the lone game he didn't reach that mark, he played just 20 minutes due to a left ankle injury. In a recent sit-down with Taylor Rooks, Mitchell opened up about a variety of NBA topics. Naturally, the conversation turned to the Cavaliers' early playoff exit and the weight of trying to bring a championship back to Cleveland. On Friday, Bleacher Report posted a key quote from the interview, highlighting Mitchell's mindset: When Rooks asked if he felt pressure being the star player on a franchise that's won just one title, Mitchell gave a direct and honest response: Advertisement "No, because I'm not Bron. I'm not going to do it the same way he did it. What did he do six times in a row? Maybe we can do it the next six years. Maybe we don't. We are not the LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers. We do it different." Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell doesn't want to be compared to the Lebron James-Cavs era.© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Mitchell added more context on how he sees the future for himself and the Cavaliers: "We are going to try to accomplish what they did and be the second team in franchise history, but we are not the 2016 Cavs. That was a special team." Mitchell has two years remaining on his current contract with the Cavaliers. He also holds a player option for the 2027-28 season worth $53.8 million. After that, he can become an unrestricted free agent. Advertisement One thing is clear: Mitchell isn't trying to be the next LeBron. He's focused on building something different and winning on his own terms. Related: Pacers Prepare for Expensive Roster Move After NBA Finals Loss Related: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Is Better Than Michael Jordan, Claims Former Bulls Star This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
