One expert believes the Miami Heat will select Arizona forward Stanley Johnson in the 2015 NBA draft, something which could lead to Heat president Pat Riley declining the team option on veteran forward Michael Beasley.
Miami lucked out in the lottery Tuesday and drew the 10th pick of the draft, meaning it will hang onto its protected first-rounder. According to the latest mock draft from ESPN's Chad Ford, the Heat will use the pick on Johnson.
"Johnson makes a lot of sense here for the Heat; he's one of the most NBA-ready prospects in the draft, with the size and strength to play right away. And, given how young he is, there's still a lot of upside there," Ford wrote Wednesday. "Wisconsin's Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky along with Texas' Myles Turner are other players in the mix for Miami."
Johnson is a 6-foot-7, 245-pound small forward who averaged 13.8 points and 6.5 rebounds as a freshman during the 2014 season. He has the potential to be able to space the floor - he shot 37.1 percent from the 3-point line - and at only 18 years old, he does have a high ceiling.
As Ford wrote, Dekker and Kaminsky both are also options for Miami at the 10-spot, although its another question entirely whether either player is worth getting picked that early. A mock draft in early May from ESPN's Jeff Goodman had Dekker going to Miami.
Regardless, it looks like Beasley's time in Miami might be up - again. The team has until the end of June to decide whether to bring back Beasley for another season, but the cap-strapped Heat will almost certainly decline the option if they end up with Johnson or Dekker.
The draft on June 25 is just beginning of what will be a busy summer for Miami. Free agency begins July 1 and could turn into a grueling time for Riley, due to the player options owned by Goran Dragic, Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng. Dragic will likely re-sign in Miami, but it'll cost a max contract; Wade will retire as a Heat player, but opting out this summer for the safety of a new multiyear deal will financially hurt the organization; and Deng reportedly is on the fence about opting in, although if he does - I think he will - it's also going to hurt the Heat financially and limit what they can do in free agency.
