(Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images)
The Miami Heat did not waste any time addressing one of their biggest needs.
On Day 2 of the 2026 NBA Draft, the Miami Heat traded their only selection — moving up from No. 41 to 37 — and drafted Louisville guard Ryan Conwell.
How would we grade it? Let’s break it down!
Grading the Miami Heat’s Ryan Conwell selection:
Conwell, 22, spent four seasons at four different programs (South Florida, Indiana State, Xavier, Louisville). And he had a featured role at each stop. The 6-foot-4 guard started in all but 11 of his 138 collegiate games, averaging 14.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
However, as a senior with the Cardinals, he was presented with a unique circumstance for himself. With Mikel Brown Jr. dealing with a lingering lower back injury for most of the season, Conwell was thrust into a lead creation role.
His results were a mixed bag, but it evidently led to the most productive season of his career. The All-ACC guard averaged 18.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists on 40.6 percent shooting and 34.5 percent from 3-point range.
Don’t necessarily be fooled by those percentages, though. While Conwell showed some positive flashes as a shot creator, he operates much better in an off-ball role than the inverse. Over his previous two seasons (22.6 USG%), he drained 40.9 percent of his triple tries.
Conwell is an exceptional spot-up shooter — both off movement and stand-still situations. He doesn’t generate a ton of lift, but he has a very smooth and sound left-handed shooting stroke with good arc and ball flight. He dominated the shooting drills at the NBA Combine, going 19-of-25 in the star drill and 28-of-30 in the pull-up shooting drill.
Additionally, he’s not a slouch defensively. He’s not great by any means. But he’s competitive and can hold his own against 1s and 2s. His size will be a question, as will his lateral agility. Conwell will also have to improve as a playmaker and ballhandler to stick as a bench guard.
But this is still a good value pick for the Miami Heat. Projecting his role will be much simpler alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, and I believe it’s one that he could thrive in.
Grade: A-
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