Lottery left Heat at a loss, but here are five standouts who could intrigue at No. 13

Under the NBA rule banning teams from being without first-round picks in successive years, the Heat must execute a pick in the first round in June, since they could be without their first round pick in 2027. The Heat must either send a top-14-protected first-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets in the 2027 draft to complete the January 2024 trade for Terry Rozier, or an unprotected 2028 first-round pick to Charlotte.

The Heat, however, can make a first-round pick for another team in June, as a means of working around that rule, and then forward that selection to a trade partner.

Among potential trade partners for the Heat are the Milwaukee Bucks, amid their uncertainty with forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks exited the lottery with the No. 10 selection, leaving in question how much they might value also adding the No. 13 selection.

The Heat have not dealt their first-round selection on draft night since 2014, when they traded up for No. 24 selection Shabazz Napier, the guard out of UConn.

Should the Heat remain at No. 13, here are five potential selections that could prove intriguing from a Heat perspective:

— Labaron Philon, guard, Alabama: There are few players in this draft class, outside the top five, who are better at creating, and making, their own shot than Philon. Drafting him would give the Heat a potential Tyler Herro replacement, potentially allowing the Heat to move on from Herro in a trade for Antetokounmpo or another star this offseason.

— Jayden Quaintance, center, Kentucky: A boom-or-bust pick who barely suited up for Kentucky last season due to injuries, but was dominant around the rim two years ago at Arizona State. His ceiling could be Jalen Duren, his floor could be Precious Achiuwa. This is another pick that would allow the Heat to move on from a current player (Kel’el Ware) in a trade this offseason.

— Christian Anderson, guard, Texas Tech: The offense would run smoothly with the ball in Anderson’s hands. He’d be an excellent pick-and-roll guard to pair with Bam Adebayo and is more than capable of hitting open shots. His defense is a bit of a question mark, but it’s something that could be developed through the Heat’s developmental program.

— Cameron Carr, guard, Baylor: A bit of a late bloomer, Carr flashed his scoring ability, and shot-making in his third and final season at Baylor. His athleticism and measurables project him to be an intriguing 3-and-D prospect, which is an element the Heat continually have valued.

— Nate Ament, forward, Tennessee: Seemingly every draft features a player who falls from projected heights into the Heat’s range, as Jakucionis did last year. That could be the case with Ament this time around. A polarizing prospect, the uber-intriguing 6-10 wing is offensively capable with the ball in his hands and has soft touch around the rim. He’ll need to get stronger, and more assertive, but from a Heat perspective is worth tracking.

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