The Miami Heat managed to trade up for point guard Shabazz Napier in the 2014 NBA draft, increasing the team's chances of re-signing LeBron James in the offseason.
James hasn't been shy about who he thinks is the best player in the draft. He took to Twitter during the NCAA title match to praise Napier, the four-year guard out of UConn. There was talk leading up to Thursday's draft that Heat president Pat Riley would try to move up for Napier, and it happened.
Miami traded their No. 26 pick and two second-round picks to the Charlotte Hornets to draft Napier at No. 24.
While Riley wouldn't admit it, the move was seemingly done in part to appease James, who called for Miami to upgrade at every position.
"I know LeBron tweeted something out in the NCAA [tournament] about him," Riley said after the draft, via ESPN. "Why not. If LeBron and I have the same taste in talent, so be it. But he didn't call me on the phone, or he didn't make a point to me about it."
James tweeted his excitement Thursday after Miami drafted Napier: "My favorite player in the draft!"
After opting out of his contract earlier in the week, James will have myriad suitors when free agency begins on July 1. The Los Angeles Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets are expected to be among the big-name teams who pursue James in the offseason.
For his part, Napier hopes his coming to Miami will help convince James to stay.
"I would hope so," Napier said. "He's one of the best players in the world. So if me going there helps him come back, it just betters our chances of being a complete team."
