It’s no secret that the Miami Heat have an issue at the point guard position. Terry Rozier’s tenure on South Beach will likely end this summer. As such, Erik Spoelstra may need multiple new ball-handlers ahead of the 2025-26 season.
In a recent mock draft from Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, the Heat are projected to select a long-term prospect at the guard position. Nolan Traore is a guard out of Saint-Quentin of the LNB Elite.
“Pat Riley said he has no plans to retire and that “80 is the new 60,” so it’s hard to imagine the Heat going with a raw project in the draft,” O’Connor wrote. “But would a talent like Traoré be too much to pass up? The Frenchman oozes upside with his size, blazing speed and shiftiness off the bounce. Inefficient scoring and erratic decision-making are the big concerns with him, but he’s played his best basketball in recent months by shooting nearly 40% from 3 and 80% from the line. Riley may want to win now, but maybe he should think about the long-term future of the franchise, too.”
Traore has played two seasons as a professional in France. This past season, he played in 30 games, averaging 11.6 points, 5.1 assists and 1.7 rebounds. He shot 30.4% from deep and 39.2% from the field.
So, while Traore would join Miami with more experience than most rookies, he is certainly still a project that will need time to develop.
Russell Westbrook could be a Short-Term Solution
Even if the Heat do draft Traore, they’re still going to need a short-term solution at the guard position. Bailey Bassett of ClutchPoints has pinpointed Russell Westbrook as a potential answer to those problems once he becomes available.
“Nobody would question Westbrook’s hustle, work ethic, or competitiveness,” Bassett wrote. “All of these factors make him a solid free-agency fit for the Miami Heat…Westbrook is unlikely to sign for more than the veteran minimum, and adding good players for cheap has to be something that would intrigue the Heat.”
Westbrook would be a strong addition to Miami’s starting lineup. Assuming Traore joins via the draft, Spoelstra would have the perfect blend of youth and experience for the coming season.
Heat Have Other Issues Beyond a Point Guard
Unfortunately for the Heat, the point guard position is just one of the team’s issues. Pat Riley must also find a way to replace the All-Star impact the team lost when Jimmy Butler left for the Golden State Warriors.
During a recent episode of the “Zach Lowe Show podcast,” it was noted that Bam Adebayo’s scoring struggles are why he won’t ever be viewed as a top-tier star in the NBA.
“This is what Bam is,” Lowe said. “The Heat need him to score 25, 27, 28 a game. It’s not going to happen. That’s just not what he’s going to be and that’s fine. Different players can do different things. He’s never going to be a top 10-to-15 player for the most part because of that. He’s still awesome, and you just need to realize that.”
If the Heat are going to contend for a championship, they need an elite talent leading the way. Both Tyler Herro and Adebayo are better suited to complementary roles. As such, Riley will likely target a new lead star. However, big-time trades are not easy to pull off. Therefore, the Heat do run the risk of starting next season with a similar roster to the one that got swept in the opening round of the playoffs. And for Heat fans, that would be a disaster.
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