With the 26th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Miami Heat select:
26. Jerami Grant, Forward (Syracuse)
Grant is an athletic forward who will immediately bring toughness to a Heat front-line that is sorely lacking such. With the likely retirement of Udonis Haslem, Grant is a good fit as the first big man off of the Miami bench. While Grant’s game still needs a bit of work, there are worse things than learning from LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
With the 27th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns select:
27. Kyle Anderson, Guard/Forward (UCLA)
Anderson is a great fit for the Suns this late in the first round. While Phoenix likely could have spent their 18th pick on the forward, waiting pays off as Anderson’s swiss-army knife offensive game fits in extremely well with what the Suns like to do on offense. Anderson offers a change of pace from the frenetic Bledsoe and Dragic, and could have a big impact on the Phoenix second unit.
With the 28th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers select:
28. Glenn Robinson III, Forward (Michigan)
If there was one position the Clippers struggled with this season, it was the small forward. While Matt Barnes tenacity on defense is a definite plus in the starting line-up, Jared Dudley’s steep decline leaves a hole at the back-up 3. Enter Robinson, who a year ago likely would have gone in the lottery. The forwards talent makes him a sleeper to eventually move into the starting line-up, and he is a steal at this point in the draft.
With the 29th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder select:
29. Mitch McGary, Forward (Michigan)
A second-straight player with lottery pick talent from Michigan comes off the board as the Thunder take a gamble on McGary. The big man was a projected first-team All-American before a back injury scrapped his final season in Ann Arbor, but OKC can take a flyer at this point in the draft on a potential game-changing talent like McGary.
With the 30th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs select:
30. Shabazz Napier, Guard (Connecticut)
Another end of first round pick, another great value find for the defending Champion Spurs. Napier brings a championship pedigree with him from UCONN and can provide great relief for San Antonio when Tony Parker heads to the bench or takes a few nights off. With Patty Mills likely playing himself into a big contract from a team with cap space, Napier is the perfect type of hard-nosed player to plug into Pops system.
