The Miami Heat enter the 2026 NBA Draft with pressing needs in the backcourt, and CBS Sports projects them taking Labaron Philon Jr. at No. 13 — the Alabama sophomore who averaged 22 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists while shooting 39.9% from three. CBS frames this pick with certainty: Miami doesn’t let Philon fall past them. That kind of conviction in a mock draft signals a genuine fit between prospect and franchise that goes beyond simple positional need.

Philon is a shifty, score-first guard who broke out as a sophomore at Alabama, doubling his scoring output with a buttery floater game, a deceptive handle, and the ability to generate his own looks while managing an offense. His 39.9% three-point shooting is genuine — he had the volume and the shot quality to back it up over a full season. At 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds, his frame is slight and will need the conditioning emphasis that Miami’s program is famous for providing. But his offensive skill set is ready to contribute immediately without requiring a learning curve.

The opportunity cost at No. 13 is Morez Johnson Jr. — the Michigan sophomore CBS projects going to Charlotte at No. 14. Johnson is a versatile 6-foot-9 forward who can defend multiple positions and exploit mismatches on the offensive end, a player whose stock has risen sharply in the weeks before the draft. Miami bypassing Johnson’s two-way versatility for Philon’s offensive firepower reflects the Heat’s more pressing need: scoring and creation from the guard spot, not another frontcourt piece behind Bam Adebayo.

Bleacher Report and Tankathon both project Philon to Miami at No. 13, making this a three-outlet consensus. Yahoo Sports is the outlier, projecting Kingston Flemings to Miami and noting his combination of scoring and relentless defense as a potential system fit. The strength of the CBS, BR, and Tankathon alignment around Philon is significant, particularly given the widespread reporting of Miami’s interest in guards who can initiate half-court offense without relying on a dominant point guard infrastructure.

Outlet	Projected Player
CBS Sports	Labaron Philon Jr.
Bleacher Report	Labaron Philon Jr.
Tankathon	Labaron Philon Jr.
Yahoo Sports	Kingston Flemings

Miami’s offseason context makes the Philon pick more than just best-available. Tyler Herro’s extension is looming, and the Heat face difficult salary decisions around Norman Powell, whose All-Star caliber season just dramatically reshaped his market value. If Miami cannot retain both, they’ll need a young offensive guard to absorb creation responsibility at a cost-controlled price. Philon, at under 21 years old on a rookie deal, is precisely the type of player that allows the Heat to navigate cap complexity while maintaining backcourt firepower.

Miami’s conditioning program is one of the most respected in the NBA for developing lighter, skill-based players into physical contributors — which directly addresses the one legitimate concern about Philon’s frame. His off-the-bounce ability was already elite at Alabama, and if Miami’s system fills out his body over the first two seasons, Philon at No. 13 could be remembered as the clearest value pick in the entire lottery. This is a franchise that has built its identity on exactly this kind of developmental investment.