Analyst Urges Heat, Fans to ‘Move Past’ Major NBA Draft Blunder

The positive part about what happened back on NBA draft night in 2015 is not so much that the Heat wound up picking Justise Winslow who, shall we say, has not quite worked out in the NBA. Nor is it that the Heat passed on one of the big-time players to come out of that draft, Devin Booker, who now stars for the Phoenix Suns.

The most positive part may be that when the Heat did decide to forgo the opportunity to draft Booker, they can at least tell themselves that 12 other teams did so, too.

And according to longtime Heat reporter Shandel Richardson, now with SI.com, it’s about time folks in Miami let go of that awful, awful evening.

“It’s unfair to criticize the Heat for going with Winslow,” Richardson wrote. “He had just won a championship at Duke and he seemed a perfect for the Heat organization: good defender, smart player, hustles. He fit the culture. No one could have predicted Booker’s ascent and Winslow’s struggles.”

Teams Were Clamoring For Winslow Ahead of NBA Draft

It’s a fair point—Winslow was a hot commodity entering that year’s draft and the fact that he was still available when Miami’s turn came around was a bit of a shocker. The Heat were drafting 10^th that year, and Winslow was projected to go as high as No. 4.

The mock drafts from both ESPN and Bleacher Report had Winslow slotted at No. 7 to Denver. When he slid past the Nuggets, remember, the Celtics had made a hard push to move into the No. 9 spot—just ahead of the Heat—to draft Winslow, so sure was then-president Danny Ainge of Winslow’s impending stardom.

According to reports at the time, Boston was willing to cough up six future draft picks to the Hornets for the No. 9 pick and the right to take Winslow. But the Hornets were focused on Wisconsin big man Frank Kaminsky and refused to make the deal with the Celtics.

Ironically, the Hornets’ terrible management decision might have hurt the Heat big-time. Had the Celtics traded for the No. 9 pick and taken Winslow, the Heat probably would have taken Booker. Team president Pat Riley is a Kentucky alum, after all, and has a penchant for picking fellow Wildcats.

Booker was among those who worked out for the Heat ahead of the draft, along with Myles Turner and Kelly Oubre, each of whom has worked out better in the NBA than Winslow. On the other hand, the Heat also worked out Rashad Vaughn, Kaminsky and forward Sam Dekker—so things surely could have been worse.

Booker Has Achieved Stardom With Suns

Booker has had a steady rise in production during his time in the NBA, and helped lead the Suns to the NBA Finals last year. This season, he is averaging 23.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists, while shooting 44.3% from the field and 40.5% from the 3-point line.

Winslow, meanwhile, struggled to find any reliable offensive game during his stint in Miami and was traded to the Grizzlies in 2020. He was signed by the Clippers this season and has played 30 games for L.A., averaging just 3.6 points in 11.1 minutes.