The scouting has been an ongoing process, with the Miami Heat out on campuses just this past week in advance of Tuesday's start of the NBA's annual Chicago combine.
For now, there are plenty of names to chew on, but also several intervening dates that could both muddle and clarify the situation before the June 22 draft, namely the May 16 draft lottery and a pair of early-entry deadlines, first on May 24 to retain collegiate eligibility and then the NBA's official withdrawal deadline on June 12, which mostly pertains to overseas prospects.
Against that backdrop, the Heat stand with a 98.2 percent chance of exiting the lottery with the No. 14 pick, their 41-41 record the best among the teams that failed to advance to the playoffs.
And although it comes off as cliche, Chet Kammerer, the Heat's vice president of player personnel, insists both this coming week and the ensuing draft evaluations, at least from his perspective, will be about selecting the best player available.
"It's most important to pick who you think who is the best player rather than by position," Kammerer said, interrupting his own stream of thought to stress that core tenet. "I know everybody likes to talk that way, but I think it's best to pick who you think is going to be successful at the next level, is whoever you think that is."
So who might that be? While the lottery will better order the teams (including those with position-specific needs), several prospects already have been linked to the Heat's draft range.
