Miami holds the No. 13 pick — its own selection — and Bleacher Report projects the Heat to select Alabama’s Labaron Philon Jr., a shifty, three-level scoring guard who brings the shot-creation ability Miami has been unable to find through the roster’s existing depth.

The Heat hold only the one pick here. This selection is their own first-rounder, and it arrives after a season in which Miami’s lack of secondary ball-handling and individual shot creation became painfully apparent. Norman Powell is an unrestricted free agent this summer; Tyler Herro is extension-eligible and unsigned beyond next season. The front office is at a critical roster juncture, and the draft becomes a key tool for addressing it.

Philon is a 6-foot-3 guard from Alabama who spent two years developing at the college level before declaring as a sophomore. His game is built on shiftiness rather than raw athleticism — he uses footwork, hesitations, and change-of-pace moves to create separation that his lack of elite burst would otherwise prevent. He has improved substantially as a three-point shooter, posting markedly better efficiency numbers in his sophomore season than his freshman campaign, and that shooting development is the central reason for his stock rise.

The Heat’s culture is a genuine asset for this type of prospect. Miami has consistently developed mid-first-round picks into functional NBA contributors — Herro himself was a 13th pick who exceeded expectations dramatically within two seasons. Philon’s work ethic and scoring instincts fit the mold of players Erik Spoelstra and his staff have historically elevated.

The player immediately after Philon at No. 13 is Yaxel Lendeborg, the Michigan forward who goes to Charlotte at No. 14. Lendeborg is a versatile frontcourt player — 6-foot-10, 241 pounds, a genuine two-way threat who rebounds, defends multiple positions, and can step out to the three-point line. Miami choosing Philon over Lendeborg is explicitly a guard-first decision that addresses the team’s most urgent need.

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

CBS Sports’ Adam Finkelstein projects Philon to Miami at No. 13. Tankathon also places him there. Gary Parrish has Philon going slightly later in his mock, and Isaac Trotter has a different order at this spot. Yahoo Sports did not have a confirmed recent pick for Miami at No. 13 in their most recent mock, as their draft falls outside the scope of picks covered. The Bleacher Report-to-CBS-to-Tankathon alignment is meaningful: three independent systems reaching the same conclusion about fit.

Miami’s offensive philosophy under Spoelstra relies heavily on movement, spacing, and a primary ball-handler creating for multiple shooters. The team has Bam Adebayo as the ultimate do-everything center, and Herro (if retained) as the primary scorer. What it lacks is another layer of shot creation — a secondary guard who can operate in isolation and pull-up scenarios when the defense takes away the primary options. Philon’s three-level scoring and improved decision-making address that gap precisely.

The Heat won’t ask Philon to be perfect immediately. Their development infrastructure is among the league’s best, and a player with his offensive toolkit and competitive nature has historically thrived in South Beach. Taking him here, in the range where his shooting improvements and scoring instincts justify his cost on a rookie contract, represents Miami doing exactly what it does best — finding value in the mid-lottery and turning it into a contributor that exceeds expectations.