3 Young players the Miami Heat must develop, 2 to give up on.
When it comes to finding and developing young talent, there’s arguably nobody better in the league than the Miami Heat. For the most part, they usually hit on their draft picks. And their crops of undrafted talent have grown into solid NBA contributors over the years.
Heat alumni Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martin are all the best examples of undrafted development in coach Erik Spoelstra’s system. All three would go on to earn lucrative deals elsewhere, once they hit free agency
Haywood Highsmith and Duncan Robinson are another pair of Miami’s development pieces, and both still remain on the roster.
Not only have they stuck around longer term, but both have been integral parts of the Heat’s rotation. Robinson is the franchise’s all-time leading 3-point shooter, and Highsmith has found a knack in Spoelstra’s lineups as a reliable 3-and-D specialist.
As another season comes to a close, comes time to assess assets. Miami’s current crew of young players all have potential, but which ones are really worth developing moving forward?
Kel’el Ware: Develop
The most obvious youngster worth developing has to be Kel’el Ware. The talented, yet raw 7-footer emerged as the team’s starting big man alongside Bam Adebayo about midway through this past season
Even without being a regular rotation piece until the second half of the year, Ware still secured a spot on the All-Rookie second team. He averaged 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks on 55% shooting across 64 games played.
Ware’s two-way versatility, size and athleticism make him way too intriguing to part with. He needs to be viewed as nearly untouchable.
Pelle Larsson: Develop
As the Heat’s second-round draft pick last year, Pelle Larsson didn’t have much expectations going into the season. However, Spoelstra started to lean more into Larsson minutes as the season went on. And he has the tools to be a Swiss Army knife type of rotation player longer term.
Keshad Johnson: Develop
Speaking of Swiss Army knife rotation players, undrafted standout Keshad Johnson has displayed signs of that same skill set. He impressed in the Heat’s 2024 summer league championship run, and carried that into the season with their g-league Skyforce squad.
Jaime Jaquez Jr: Give up
Unfortunately for Jaime Jaquez Jr., his sophomore campaign was a complete disaster. He took significant steps backwards in his encouraging rookie year, and his decline might be enough for his brief Heat career to come to an end this offseason.
Josh Christopher: Give up
Another 2024 Heat summer league standout was the explosive guard scoring of Josh Christopher. As a former 24th overall draft pick back in 2021, Christopher still displays plenty of potential.
