NBA Draft tracker: Heat begins signing undrafted players. Blazers give update on Lillard

Welcome to NBA Draft day!

The Miami Heat enters Thursday night’s draft (8 p.m., ESPN) with the No. 18 overall pick.

The Heat does not hold a second-round selection in this year’s draft — that pick, which is 50th overall, will be conveyed to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of previous trades. But Miami could buy its way into the second round with the help of $6.4 million that it has available to purchase such a pick.

While the focus will certainly be on No. 18 if the Heat keeps that selection, the third overall pick could also impact Miami’s future.

That’s because how the Portland Trail Blazers handle the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft could determine whether star guard Damian Lillard requests a trade. While Lillard has yet to publicly request the Trail Blazers to trade him, the Heat is expected to be among the teams that will pursue a deal for Lillard if he does become available.

What will transpire on draft day for the Heat? We’ll have live updates for you here throughout the night and even into the early morning hours when the undrafted commitments begin to come in.

2:40 a.m.: The Heat began the process of adding undrafted rookies late Thursday night by agreeing to a summer league deal with Washington State guard Justin Powell, who shot 41.9 percent on three-pointers in three college seasons -- one each at Auburn, Tennessee and Washington State. Powell’s deal was reported by Draftexpress.com.

Powell averaged 10.4 points for the Cougars last season and hit 42.6 percent of his three-pointers (78 for 183). He averaged 3.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

Miami also received a commitment from Marist undrafted rookie center Patrick Gardner to a summer league deal, per draftexpress.com. The 6-11 prospect averaged 19.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and one block last season. He has three-point range; he shot 38.7 percent on threes (57 for 149) last season.

In addition, the Heat will sign Utah State undrafted rookie forward Taylor Funk to a summer-league deal, per draftexpress.com. Funk, 6-8, shot 37.3 percent on threes at Utah State last season (81 for 219) while averaging 13.4 points and 5.5 rebounds in his sixth season of college basketball.

Funk played the previous five seasons at St. Joseph’s, where he averaged 12.0 points and shot 35.3 percent on three-pointers.

The Heat also agreed to a summer league and training camp contract with Villanova undrafted guard Caleb Daniels (6-4, 210 pounds), according to ESPN. Daniels spent his first two college seasons at Tulane before transferring to Villanova, averaging 14.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while shooting 39.4 percent from the field and 75 of 226 (33.2 percent) from three-point range last season.

Daniels was a more efficient three-point shooter earlier in his college career, shooting 44 of 114 (38.6 percent) from beyond the arc in his first season with Villanova in the 2020-21 season and 59 of 158 (37.3 percent) from beyond the arc in 2021-22.

Finally, the Heat agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with USC undrafted forward Drew Peterson (6-9, 205 pounds), according to ESPN. As a fifth-year senior, he averaged 14 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 44.6 percent from the field and 42 of 116 (36.2 percent) from three-point range last season.

Peterson began his college career with Rice before transferring to USC prior to the 2020-21 season.

1:25 a.m.: Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin told reporters in Oregon that he had a long talk with Damian Lillard on Tuesday about trade possibilities, but Lillard apparently hasn’t made a decision about his future. Cronin said the intention remains to build around Lillard.

“I have already said my goal is for Damian Lillard to retire as a Trail Blazer,” he said. “I have zero desire to trade him. I hope it works out here.”

Asked if he feels like he’s in danger of losing Lillard, Cronin said: “No, I don’t. He’s probably being more vocal than ever, but I don’t look at that as a negative. He wants it to work here, and he’s challenging us to get it done, which is more than fair. He’s earned that.”

Lillard has said that he wants Portland to build a contending team or he would reconsider his future.

11:32 p.m.: Any hope of a quick resolution with Heat trade target Lillard seemingly dissipated late Thursday night, with a report that the Portland guard won’t immediately ask for a trade.

Lillard’s decision on whether to ask for trade will extend “now between tonight and the start of free agency and into free agency,” per Shams Charinuia. He apparently wants to give Portland a bit more time to see if they can build contending, veteran-laden team. Portland drafted Scoot Henderson third overall instead of trading the pick.

9:55 p.m.: With the 18th pick, the Heat selected UCLA 6-6 guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., who averaged 17.8 points last season. He also averaged 8.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals last season and was Pac-12 Player of the Year.

But he shot only 31.7 percent on threes (33 for 104) and 32.8 percent on threes in his career. Overall, he shot 48.1 percent last season.

He shot threes well as a sophomore (39.4 percent/37 for 94) but slipped to 27.6 and 31.7 percent past two years (a combined 54 for 180 on threes). That must improve.

He’s only a 73.7 percent three-point shooter, and his assist to turnover ratio also must improve (he has 262 assists, 200 turnovers in his career).

He has 178 steals in 134 college games. And his 8.0 rebounds per 40 minutes in his college career is very good.

Jaquez gets high marks for his post play on offense (he shot 52 percent on twos in his career), footwork unrelenting motor/effort and defense.

“He’s tough, hard nosed and always plays hard,” ESPN’s Jay Bilas said. “He was the one guy who stood out who played the hardest. Fundamentally sound. Really good isolation forward. Like Jalen Brunson, the way he can back you down and pivot around you. He knows how to play. It’s very Miami Heat to draft a player Jaquez, very fundamentally sound.”

ESPN’s Jeremy Woo said Jaquez “has helped himself in the pre-draft process, showing teams he’s ready to contribute sooner rather than later thanks to his experience, physicality and feel for the game, allowing him to play a variety of positions and roles for the team that picks him.”

Jaquez told ESPN: “I have a lot of experience. That’s what I told teams.”

Among the players the Heat bypassed: Villanova forward Cam Whitmore (projected by some as a top 10 pick), Santa Clara guard Brandin Podziemski, Alabama power forward Noah Clowney, Arkansas guard Nick Smith Jr. and Iowa forward Kris Murray.

9:05 p.m.: The Heat has had success drafting Kentucky players (Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro) but Miami won’t have the chance to select the best Wildcat in this draft.

Guard Cason Wallace, who had been linked to Miami in some mock draft, was selected 10th overall by Dallas and traded with Davis Bertans to Oklahoma City.

8:15 p.m.: The Trail Blazers selected guard Scoot Henderson with the third pick, a move that reportedly might prompt Lillard to ask for a trade. If Lillard asks to be moved to a contender, the Heat is expected to vigorously pursue a deal for the seven-time All Star guard.

Lillard, 32, reportedly wanted the Blazers to trade the third pick for veteran help, with the hope that the Portland would become a legitimate contender next season.

Lillard has said that the Heat and Brooklyn would appeal to him if he requests a trade.

7:15 p.m.: On draft night at the start of an important offseason for the Heat, Jimmy Butler’s agent Bernie Lee expressed confidence that his client’s best season is still ahead of him.

When asked by the Miami Herald in a conversation on Thursday which season has been the best of Butler’s NBA career, Lee answered: “He hasn’t had it yet.”

7 p.m.: Among the prospects projected to be drafted in the Heat’s range in the first round are Arkansas guard Nick Smith Jr., Indiana guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, Connecticut guard Jordan Hawkins, Kentucky guard Cason Wallace, Michigan wing Jett Howard and guard Kobe Bufkin, Baylor guard Keyonte George, Santa Clara guard Brandin Podziemski, Marquette forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Alabama forward Noah Clowney, Iowa forward Kris Murray, UCLA forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., Duke center Dereck Lively, Kansas wing Gradey Dick, G League Ignite forward Leonard Miller and international prospects Rayan Rupert, James Nnaji and Bilal Coulibaly.

ESPN’s latest mock draft has the Heat selecting Wallace at No. 18, explaining the pick this way: “Wallace is another guard in this part of the draft with a wide range. His versatility gives him many potential landing spots, and he could certainly come off the board in the late lottery, but in this scenario, he makes it down into the teens. His toughness would make him an excellent fit in Miami.”

The Ringer’s latest mock draft has the Heat taking Jaquez at No. 18, noting that “Jaquez makes perfect sense considering Miami’s needs for experience and size at the wing position. Jaquez provides defensive versatility and wouldn’t compromise Miami’s ability to have multiple ball handlers on the floor, either.”