The Miami Heat hold two picks in the 2026 NBA Draft — No. 13 and No. 41 (via the Warriors) — positions that give them one lottery selection and a second-round depth add. Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman projects the Heat to use No. 13 on a ready-made contributor and the second pick on a guard who profiles as an immediate rotation piece.

At No. 13, Wasserman projects Michigan senior Yaxel Lendeborg to Miami. Lendeborg, a 6’9″ forward with a 7’4″ wingspan who helped Michigan win the national championship, brings two-way versatility and gradual improvement as a shooter and defender. Wasserman notes that “NBA teams won’t put much stock into Lendeborg’s NBA combine performance or workouts” — there is already enough tape on his versatility and high-impact minutes from the national championship run to evaluate confidently. He shot 37 percent from three in 2025-26, a translatable and improving mark for a forward his size.

The opportunity cost at No. 13 is Labaron Philon, the Alabama guard CBS Sports and Tankathon project to Miami at No. 13. Philon, a 6’4″ sophomore who scored 22.0 points per game while shooting 50/40/80 from the field, three-point line, and free-throw line respectively, is among the most efficient scorers in the class. CBS describes him as “one of the more gifted shot creators in this draft class” who also showed “more defensive potential than we saw this year.” Yahoo Sports projects Kingston Flemings to Miami at No. 13, a third divergent reading that highlights genuine uncertainty around where the top guards land in the late lottery.

At No. 41 — a second-round pick received via the Golden State Warriors — Wasserman projects Purdue’s Braden Smith. Smith, a 6’0″ senior point guard, earned optimistic reviews from scouts after demonstrating in combine scrimmages that he could “get to any spot he wanted” against better competition. His IQ and craftiness for creating for others translate even without the physical tools to match. At 41, a team taking him is betting on pure skill and feel over athleticism, which is a defensible value bet in the second round.

Miami’s front office is known for identifying undervalued players through non-traditional evaluation, and Lendeborg fits that archetype: a late-developing player with a complicated path to the draft who kept improving every time the competition escalated. His role at Michigan — defending point guards, crashing the boards, hitting open threes — maps directly onto what the Heat ask of their versatile forwards. CBS Sports’ Adam Finkelstein calls Philon the right choice at this spot, making this a meaningful Wasserman departure worth watching on draft night.

The Heat’s two-pick approach gives them one high-upside versatile forward and one crafty playmaking backup. Lendeborg at 13 immediately improves their defensive versatility and perimeter shooting depth. Smith at 41 adds a playmaking backup guard who can extend possessions without creating isolation offense. Together, these two picks reinforce the Heat’s identity as a team that wins through collective effort and positional interchangeability rather than individual star power — a smart, culture-first draft approach.

Outlet	Projected Player
Bleacher Report	Yaxel Lendeborg (No. 13)
CBS Sports	Labaron Philon (No. 13)
Tankathon	Labaron Philon (No. 13)
Yahoo Sports	Kingston Flemings (No. 13)