Heat go without selection in Thursday night’s second round of NBA draft; roster set or fluid?

MIAMI — As expected, the Miami Heat sat out Thursday night’s second round of the NBA draft, after entering the night without a selection.

The Heat had the ability to purchase a selection, but, by rule, by sending out cash in such a transaction it would have hard-capped the team at the second-apron of the NBA luxury tax for the entire 2025-26 season.

Instead, next up is the free-for-all that follows the draft as teams stock summer rosters with undrafted free agents.

The Heat pick in Thursday night’s second round was dealt in 2019 to the Indiana Pacers as part of a package of three future second-round picks for the draft rights of KZ Okpala.

At what would have been the Heat’s No. 41 slot, the Phoenix Suns, who acquired the pick earlier Thursday, selected Kentucky guard Koby Brea.

Last year, for the first time since 2019, the Heat actually emerged from the second round with a selection, acquiring the second-round rights to No. 44 pick Pelle Larsson, the guard out of Arizona.

This time around, as in 2023, ’22, ’21 and ’20, the Heat went without a second-round pick.

Among the factors – beyond the prospect of a hard cap – in sitting out Thursday night’s second round was the Heat already with a packed roster at the moment.

With teams allowed to carry up to 15 players under standard contract during the regular season, the Heat currently count 14 players toward that total: Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Andrew Wiggins, Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Haywood Highsmith, Kyle Anderson, Duncan Robinson, Kevin Love, Terry Rozier, Keshad Johnson, Wednesday night’s first-round pick Kasparas Jakucionis  and Larsson.

Should restricted free agent Davion Mitchell return, that would put the Heat at the 15-player standard-contract maximum, unless there is a trade or Robinson unexpectedly invokes his early-termination option by Sunday’s 6 p.m. deadline.

For the Heat, it is now somewhat of a rapid turnaround between Thursday night’s conclusion of the draft and the start of their two summer leagues, to open play at the California Classic on July 5 at Chase Center in San Francisco on the court of the Golden State Warriors.

Beyond those to be added in the wake of the draft from this year’s draft class, among those expected back for summer league for the Heat are Larsson, Ware, Johnson and possibly 2024-25 two-way player Isaiah Stevens, who is a free agent. The Heat’s summer roster will again be guided by assistant coach Eric Glass.

Following play at the California Classic, which features four teams, the Heat will move on to the July 10-20 Las Vegas NBA Summer League, which features summer rosters from all 30 teams.