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Heat trade up, draft Louisville star in second round, later add undrafted UM standout
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- Heat trade up, draft Louisville star in second round, later add undrafted UM standout
MIAMI — With just one bite at the apple in the 2026 NBA draft, the Miami Heat used their lone pick in the process by emerging with Louisville guard Ryan Conwell in the second round of Wednesday night's draft.
Scheduled to select at No. 41 entering the night, the Heat instead traded with the Oklahoma City Thunder to land Conwell at No. 37, trading the No. 41 pick and cash.
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A solid 3-point shooter with an NBA body, Conwell, listed by the NBA at 6 feet 2, 215 pounds, ended his college career with several plaudits, including being a 2025-26 All-ACC second-team selection, while leading Louisville and ranking sixth in the ACC in scoring, pacing the ACC and ranked 16th nationally in 3-pointers made per game (3.29), and posting eight games of five or more 3-pointers in 2025-26.
Earlier, he was named to the 2024-25 All-Big East third team as a junior at Xavier and 2023-24 Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year and All-MVC second team at Indiana State.
In addition to the time at Louisville, Xavier and Indiana State, Conwell began his collegiate career at South Florida.
Heat Assistant General Manager Adam Simon, who guides the Heat's college scouting, said the Heat had a first-round grade on Conwell.
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"We got through yesterday's first round, we had a couple players that we had as first round grades that didn't get drafted," Simon said following the conclusion of the draft. "We met today, went through the players that we felt were the most focus, that we wanted to focus on in the second round. We had them in a group of about seven players that we really were hoping that we could get at 41.
"And once there was an opportunity to move up a couple spots, we took advantage of that opportunity. Ownership gave us the opportunity to move up. So we appreciate them doing that. And we were able to make the trade with Oklahoma City ."
Conwell was informed of his selection by phone by Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and Heat President Pat Riley, having worked out for the Heat at Kaseya Center in the lead up to the draft.
"I'll be forever grateful for the Miami Heat," Conwell said, "and it's a day I'll never forget."
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Conwell said he believed the workout turned a few heads.
"I was pretty confident," he said of the session. "I had a great workout and showed my skill set at a high level. It was just a great competitive workout and I think I put my best foot forward."
As for providing a scoring boost, Conwell said the fit seems right, "just being able to get downhill, relocate, just being able to space the floor and knock down shots and just find those openings to free myself."
Simon said the fit should be complementary.
"When you hear things about a player, about a competitiveness, about being a great teammate, about being a worker, about being a pro, about having no bad days, all those things mean a lot to us," Simon said, "and certainly the shooting and the athleticism. It all checks out for us."
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Later, as the draft concluded, the Heat signed undrafted University of Miami guard Tre Donaldson to a two-way contract.
Donaldson was with the Hurricanes' NCAA Tournament team last season after starting his college career at Auburn and then moving on to Michigan.
A second-team All-ACC selection this past season, Donaldson became the first UM player to record at least 20 points and ten assists in a game since Isaiah Wong in 2022. He also was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week on January 12.
"A leader, a winner, a competitor, infectious personality, a player who's going to make others better," Simon said of Donaldson. "We've had, being here, an opportunity to see him play a lot.
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"He was our top rated point guard that was left undrafted. And we thought, 'Why not give him the two-way?' "
As for the Conwell pick, in the immediate wake of the selection, Yahoo draft expert Kevin O'Connor posted. "I love the Ryan Conwell pick for the Heat. After getting Giannis, Miami badly needs shot creation in the backcourt. Conwell's combo style reminds me so much of Norm Powell, so it's pretty funny he could end up being the guy that replaces him if Powell leaves."
Of trading up for Conwell, ESPN analyst and former NBA executive Bobby Marks posted, "Smart move considering Miami is likely facing financial restrictions filling out their bench."
For his part, ESPN draft insider Jeremy Woo, when asked ahead of Wednesday night's second round for a remaining under-the-radar prospect said, "Ryan Conwell. Although he's effectively a small two-guard, I liked his physicality, shooting and toughness and think he'll defend enough to find an NBA home long term." After the selection, Woo posted, "Conwell's shooting and toughness make him a strong fit for a team with one of the best second-round and undrafted track records in the league."
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The Heat were without a first-round selection, having dealt Tuesday night's No. 13 selection to the Milwaukee Bucks in the blockbuster deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo . The Bucks selected Tennessee forward Nate Ament at the slot.
The Heat's own selection in Wednesday night's draft had been sent out in a previous trade, with that No. 44 pick held by the San Antonio Spurs at the start of Wednesday night's process. Taken at that No. 44 slot was Duke forward Maliq Brown .
The No. 41 selection, which originally belonged to the Golden State Warriors , was acquired by the Heat from the Charlotte Hornets for not being made fully aware of the gambling investigation into Terry Rozier , before the guard was obtained in January 2024. Then came Wednesday night's move up.
Selected Wednesday night in the second round ahead of Conwell were Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton, BYU guard Richie Saunders , Duke guard Isaiah Evans , Arkansas guard Meleek Thomas, Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile and Cincinnati forward Baba Miller .
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Still on the board after the Heat landed Conwell were North Carolina center Henri Veesaar , German guard Jack Kayil, Houston guard Emanuel Sharp, Purdue guard Braden Smith , St. John's forward Dillon Mitchell , Tennessee forward Felix Okpara, UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau, Virginia center Ugonna Onyenso, Arizona guard Jaden Bradley , Filou Oostende (Belgium) guard Noam Yaacov, Vanderbilt wing/forward Tyler Nickel, South Florida big man Izaiyah Nelson and St. John's forward Bryce Hopkins , among others.
Selected at what was the Heat's No. 41 slot at the start of the night was Kentucky guard Otega Oweh .
Next up will be rounding out the summer-league roster with undrafted prospects, with the Heat next month to compete in summer leagues in San Francisco and Las Vegas. Assistant coach Wayne Ellington will guide that roster, with that process starting with Donaldson.
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The Heat over the years have thrived with second-round selections, including No. 44 pick Pelle Larsson two years ago and No. 40 Josh Richardson a decade earlier.
But it is when the drafts have ended that the Heat also have swooped in for undrafted success stories, most notably Duncan Robinson in 2018, Larsson's Arizona teammate Keshad Johnson in 2024 and then undrafted center Vlad Goldin last year.
Based on the Heat's position against the first-apron hard cap created by the Antetokounmpo trade, the Heat are left with $18 million to round out their standard roster. That could create opportunity not only for Conwell, but other low-cost undrafted options, with the Heat typically identifying such NBA-quality prospects ahead of time and then coming in with offers of two-way spots, small guarantees or summer-league roster spots shortly after the draft.
Going forward, because of surrendering a 2033 second-round pick to the Bucks in the Antetokounmpo trade, the Heat have only one remaining tradeable second-round pick – a highly protected 2031 selection that likely will fall to the end of that second round.
