NBA Draft rumors 2022: 5 targets for the Miami Heat

Mar 17, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Kennedy Chandler (1) reacts as he dunks the ball against the Longwood Lancers in the first half during the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports /

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Feb 27, 2022; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Trey McGowens (2) shoots the ball during the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Bryce Jordan Center. Nebraska defeated Penn State 93-70. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Bryce McGowens

An obvious priority for the Heat moving forward should be lowering the regular-season workload heaped onto Jimmy Butler’s shoulders on an annual basis. Drafting a big, talented scorer like McGowens might help increase the chances of Butler making it to the playoffs with maximum energy.

McGowens will need some time to grow into a primary scorer at the NBA level but he’s got the physical tools to make that transition over time. He’s a long athlete who already scores efficiently from the mid-range. He’ll need to add a quality three-pointer to his arsenal to really pop as a professional but Miami should have confidence in their player development program to make that happen.

Similar to Butler when he came out of Marquette, one big knock on McGowens is that he doesn’t create many quality scoring opportunities for his teammates. Expecting him to blossom into a point guard is a fool’s dream. Believing he can become an adequate passer is a perfectly reasonable expectation.

There’s a strong chance McGowens goes off the board before Miami goes on the clock at No. 27 but they shouldn’t hesitate to stop his slide if he’s available. Adding scoring is always a good idea and McGowens is wired to put the ball in the basket on a regular basis.

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