Miami Heat's backing of flattened lottery odds reveals a bigger goal

Miami Heat's backing of flattened lottery odds reveals a bigger goal originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The NBA's 2026 draft lottery produced a familiar result for Miami: They landed at No. 13, continuing a streak that now spans 12 lotteries without a move up. But there was a notable detail attached to Sunday's outcome that got considerably less attention than the picks themselves.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Heat were among the teams that quietly supported the league's proposed flattened lottery odds that could go into effect in 2027. Speaking on air, Charania explained that Miami's position made that stance logical:

"A team like the Miami Heat today finishes 13th. They're a team I'm told have been supportive of this flattened odds because the marketplace helps them where players obviously want to be at."

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Miami finished this season at 43-39, landing in the lottery for the first time since 2019, when they drafted Tyler Herro at No. 13. Before Herro, came at No. 14 in 2017. Kel'el Ware arrived at No. 15 in 2024.