Miami Heat NBA Draft target all but confirms he's coming to South Beach

The Miami Heat own the 20th overall pick in tomorrow's NBA Draft, courtesy of the Jimmy Butler trade with the Golden State Warriors. Since Miami's ill-fated postseason push meant sending their own pick to OKC at No. 15, this is an important asset for a team in desperate need of youth. And it sounds like Miami already has its guy.

While this is the season of smokescreens, sometimes the signals are just too strong — too blatant to ignore. In this case, Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. has worked out in Miami twice and cancelled all other workouts, per 247 Sports' Adam Finkelstein. Hmm. Hint, hint.

This is not a guarantee, but it's as close to a guarantee as one can get. Clayton dumped additional fuel on the fire Tuesday afternoon, too. When asked which three people he would have dinner with, dead or alive, the first name on Clayton's mind was Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra.

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Florida's Walter Clayton Jr. basically confirms Heat interest with blatant Erik Spoelstra plug

Erik Spoelstra, Rick Ross and Kobe Bryant is quite the dinner party. It also reads as a blatant tipping of the hand. Clayton could just really appreciate Spoelstra as a head coach. He is widely hailed as the best tactician in the sport and he has several NBA Finals appearances (and a couple rings) under his belt, so it's not like "Spo" is completely out of place here. But generally, even future NBA players aren't itching to dine with current coaches when these sorts of questions get tossed out. This pick does not scream "imagination!"

Clayton, FanSided's No. 24 prospect, grew up just outside Orlando and played his final two seasons of college basketball at Florida. There was a lot of Magic buzz early in the pre-draft cycle, but now it seems like Clayton won't even fall to Orlando at No. 25. The Heat are also Clayton's hometown team in a way and we know Pat Riley tends to prioritize experienced college stars over blind upside swings. Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kel'el Ware, his last two first-round picks, both spent multiple years in college.

There is no doubting the résumé with Clayton. He led Florida to a No. 1 seed and an NCAA championship as a senior, putting together an all-time great tournament run in March. A former transfer from Iona, Clayton went from a relative unknown to one of the biggest stars in college basketball in just two years in Gainesville.

How does Walter Clayton Jr. fit with Heat?

Clayton's fit in Miami is not perfect, but he's bound to find ways to contribute. The Heat don't really need another small combo guard with Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier in the lineup, but few coaches mask weaknesses and elevate strengths better than Spoelstra. It seems like Clayton knows this. Moreover, he's one of, if not the best shooter in the draft. Clayton can hit 3s in a variety of spots, working out of a variety of actions. That is a bankable NBA skill, and it's one every team could use more of.

Clayton isn't always the sharpest passer, but he can settle immediately into an off-ball role in Miami, alleviating pressure on Tyler Herro as a secondary ball-handler and operating out of two-man actions with Bam Adebayo. Clayton's an effective driver in addition to his elite perimeter shot-making. He won't play above the rim much, but Clayton's strength and craft allow him to create angles and finish through contact in the paint. He's a bonafide scorer. It's the rest of his game that needs work.

Miami can bring in a local champ and solidify the backcourt rotation with Rozier's future in doubt. It's a reasonable move, and right now, it seems like the inevitable move.