Names are there, but will pick be for Miami Heat at No. 13?

MIAMI — In less than two weeks, a pick will be made by the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA draft. It is a selection that well could be met with a shrug in South Florida, will all due respect to the player selected.

In the balance amid the ongoing speculation about a Heat acquisition of Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks is the fate of the Heat’s No. 13 selection on June 23, a pick likely to be sent out as a requirement of any potential deal.

So, yes, a draft party on June 23 at Kaseya Center, and, yes, the Heat already marketing their 2026 NBA draft cap. But pick No. 13 ultimately could wind up a Heat illusion.

So what might the Heat be giving up (or getting)?

A clue could be within the list of the first 14 players issued invitations to the draft’s green room at Barclays Center.

According to ESPN, that list is made up of  AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer, Caleb Wilson, Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr., Darius Acuff Jr., Aday Mara, Karim Lopez, Kingston Flemings, Nate Ament, Brayden Burries, Christian Anderson Jr. and Labaron Philon.

The first four, and perhaps even the first six or beyond on that list, stand beyond the reach of No. 13, but the remaining names offer insight into what the Heat might be bypassing in favor of an Antetokounmpo trade or who they might selecting in the void of an Antetokounmpo trade.

By rule, since the Heat’s first-round pick (top-14 protected) might go to the Charlotte Hornets in 2027 to complete the January 2024 Terry Rozier trade, the Heat must execute a pick on June 23. But from that moment, they then could move the selection, a selection that could come at the behest of a trade partner such as Milwaukee.

What makes the Heat picking at No. 13 even more intriguing is that Milwaukee’s own first-round selection comes at No. 10, which has the Bucks looking at the moment at many of the same prospects as the Heat.

Of the 14 players so far with green-room invitations, none has been linked by HoopsHype’s workout tracker to the Heat. Of those 14, Acuff, Brown and Philon have been listed as working out for the Bucks.

While several teams list players in for workouts, in some cases making those players available for media sessions, neither the Heat nor Bucks have taken that approach this draft cycle.

Among potential No.13 selections linked to Heat workouts who are not on the initial green-room list are Michigan forwards Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson.

The scouting remains ongoing for the Heat, with the team declining to address the possibility of the pick instead being dealt.

“Like I always say,” Assistant General Manager Adam Simon said, “our rosters can change at any time. And so I think what we’re trying to just do is figure out who the best player could be long-term.”

For now, that is the Heat approach at No. 13. But it soon instead be the Bucks’ approach at that very draft slot.

Draft party

Despite the potential uncertainty of having a first-round selection, the Heat will be staging a draft party June 23 at 7 p.m. at Kaseya Center.

Only the first round of the two-round draft will be held that night, with the second round taking place on June 24, also at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

Of the event, the Heat’s promotion reads, “Watch as Miami’s draft pick takes the stage, then enjoy a night of fan-first experiences like autographed item giveaways, interactive photo opps, and special appearances by Burnie, the Heat Dancers and your favorite gameday faces.”

There is no charge for the event, but tickets must be secured in advance, available at https://www.gofevo.com/event/2026draft87.