Ryan Conwell has already done enough this preseason to get Miami thinking.
The Heat’s second-round pick has turned heads in workouts, carried that momentum into camp, and then backed it up with a preseason stretch that included two games of 20-plus points. For a team that spent the offseason reshaping its roster, that kind of pop from a rookie guard is hard to ignore.
Miami came into the year with major change around the edges and one headline-grabbing addition at the top: Giannis Antetokounmpo. The trade brought in the Milwaukee Bucks star, but it also cost the Heat four players.
Then Norman Powell departed for the Chicago Bulls in free agency. Even after adding Klay Thompson, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bobby Portis, questions have lingered about how deep this group really is.
That’s where Conwell enters the picture.
Originally taken by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the No. 37 pick, Conwell was quickly shipped to Miami for No. 41 and cash considerations, a clear sign the Heat valued him. His college résumé suggests a player who knows how to win wherever he goes. He spent time with four different programs and picked up a stack of honors along the way, including second-team All-MVC in 2024, third-team All-Big East in 2025 and second-team All-ACC this past season.
Now the challenge is making that production carry over to the league.
The Heat’s roster has been turned over enough that there’s a path for a rookie to carve out minutes, especially with nearly half the team made up of new faces. But the veteran additions, particularly on the wing, could make the first step a little harder for Conwell. It wouldn’t be surprising if he starts his pro career with the Sioux Falls Skyforce before getting a real chance to stick with the NBA group.
Still, the ceiling is obvious enough to keep watching. With Miami having moved on from several young players in the Antetokounmpo deal, there may eventually be room for Conwell to play his way into a meaningful role. And if his preseason was any indication, he might already be closer than expected.
He may not open the year as a regular in the Heat rotation, but Miami could have found a real piece with its only draft pick.
In Other News...
Heat Roster Cuts Just Clarified Who Fans Should Keep Watching
The Heat have trimmed their preseason roster down to the point where the next phase of the season is already coming into focus. Miami waived four developmental players, Ezra Ausar, Kylor Kelley, Gabe Madsen and Bez Mbeng, after the preseason wrapped up, clearing the way for the team to get closer to the leagues 15-player standard contract limit.
For now, the move mostly shifts attention to Sioux Falls, where all four players are expected to land with the Skyforce and continue their development in the Heat system. It is the kind of roster housekeeping that rarely makes noise on its own, but for Miami it also serves as a reminder of which young players remain on the radar as the organization starts sorting out its regular-season depth. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Could Still Find One Veteran Who Changes Their Rotation
With the roster cutdown deadline closing in, the Heat have already trimmed a few young prospects and are still looking at ways to tighten up the back end of the roster. That has naturally turned attention to a familiar pool of recently waived NBA veterans, the kind of players who can step into a rotation without needing much ramp-up time if the fit makes sense.
Among the names floating around are Pat Connaughton, Jeremy Sochan and Bruce Brown, all of whom bring some combination of experience, versatility and lineup flexibility. Miami has not made any official additions yet, but the fact that these veterans are even in the conversation suggests the front office is still weighing whether one more proven piece could help settle the rotation before the deadline passes. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Fans Are Already Debating What Klay Will Really Be Here
Klay Thompsons preseason line with Miami has already given Heat fans plenty to argue about, and it is not hard to see why. Through the first games of exhibition play, Thompson has been trying to find his footing with new teammates and a new system, while the early returns have been uneven enough to stir the usual preseason anxiety around a high-profile addition.
What Miami is really sorting through is less about whether Thompson can still shoot and more about how he fits next to Giannis Antetokounmpo as a complementary piece. The expectation is that he will not be asked to carry the offense, but to provide spacing, shot-making and the kind of late-game reliability the Heat have long valued in role players who can swing playoff moments. [Read more 🡒]