While in East finals, Heat also on road preparing for draft: ‘For us, it’s business as usual’

The offseason has already begun for most of the NBA, but the Miami Heat is one of four teams still chasing a championship.

That means the Heat contingent that attended this week’s NBA Draft combine was smaller than usual. The organization was represented by assistant general manager Adam Simon, director of player personnel Eric Amsler, director of college and pro scouting Keith Askins, and scouts Bob McAdoo, Jack Fitzgerald and Bob Staak at the combine.

Usually that group also includes Heat president Pat Riley, general manager Andy Elisburg and coach Erik Spoelstra. But not this season, with the Heat currently in Boston for Games 3 and 4 of its Eastern Conference finals series against the Celtics.

“For us, it’s business as usual,” Simon said to the Miami Herald from Chicago, with the Heat holding the No. 27 pick in the June 23 draft. “People like to ask me, ‘How come you’re not at the games?’ But our job is to prepare for the draft and be ready. This is the place to do it. So we’re here doing what we do every year.

“We’ve interviewed 37 players this week between the G League Elite Camp and the NBA combine. That’s business as usual. Then we go evaluate the workouts and the games, and then there’s the agent workouts at night with the pro days. So everything is the same. Probably the only thing different are no dinners with Pat. But we adjust and that’s it. Everything is the same.”

The Heat brass in attendance still evaluated draft prospects as they took part in shooting, strength and agility drills, watched five-on-five scrimmages closely and interviewed a long list of players. But there’s no daily update for Riley, Elisburg and others back in Miami.

“We’re just doing draft intel,” Simon said. “We’re gathering. At the end of the day, we are responsible for information and being prepared. Then in June, we’ll have those meetings and the information we’re gathering now will be applied and will be used in those meetings then.”

As for the pre-draft interviews conducted over the last week at the combine, Simon noted that those are recorded and can be shared with the rest of the Heat’s front office if needed in the coming weeks.

“We have them documented and then we can share them when needed or reference them down the road to go back and look at them,” Simon said. “This is just a part of the process of what’s offered here. Then we can bring players down to Miami and work them out and interview them there, as well.”

The Heat plans to start inviting prospects for pre-draft workouts at FTX Arena at the start of June.

For now, Simon will continue his two-week trip that began this past Sunday when the Heat contingent arrived in Chicago for the combine. Simon then headed to Boston this weekend to join the Heat for Games 3 and 4 of the East finals before flying to Los Angeles on Tuesday for agency-run pro days and then returning to Miami late next week.

“You want to be there to feel it, be a part of the highs and lows,” Simon said of missing Games 1 and 2 of the conference finals in Miami while at the combine. “Whether you win, to celebrate and enjoy the one game or series victory. And if you lose, to be there to support and be with your team. We win and lose together.”

Simon and the group of Heat scouts watched Games 1 and 2 of the series from a Chicago restaurant.

“The thing was I was going to go home this weekend,” Simon explained. “But I had pre-FOMO [fear of missing out] and decided to go over to Boston for Games 3 and 4. Then from there, I’m going to LA. So I actually ended up packing for a 12-day trip. ... I was like, if I don’t go to these games, then I won’t be there until a possible Game 7. So I decided to go to Boston for a couple days and then fly from Boston to L.A. on Tuesday for the pro days out there on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.”

So while most of the Heat organization is focused on the task at hand of finding a way past the Celtics to advance to the NBA Finals for the seventh time in franchise history, Simon is working to find another player who can help the Heat in future seasons.

Among the prospects expected to be selected this year around the Heat’s spot at No. 27, according to ESPN’s latest mock draft, are Auburn center Walker Kessler, Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell, Baylor forward Kendall Brown, guard Jaden Hardy of the G League Ignite, Duke guard Trevor Keels, Kansas wing Christian Braun, Nebraska guard Bryce McGowens and Michigan forward Caleb Houstan.

ESPN NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony projects the Heat to take Keels because he “brings the type of toughness, feel for the game and winning spirit the organization covets.” Keels, who turns 19 in August, averaged 11.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists as a freshman in his lone season at Duke.

“We feel good where we’re picking at 27. I feel like the options will be good,” Simon said. “Then at the end of the day, every team has to make a decision between a player that’s a little bit more advanced and a little bit more ready versus a player that’s younger in their career and that needs development and may be a couple years away. There’s no right or wrong answer.

“I think if you’re looking at this draft, there’s players that are more ready and there’s players that need a little bit more seasoning. But I think it’s a good draft overall.”

The Heat is also eligible to trade its first-round pick in this year’s draft. But even if Miami does end up moving the selection, the information gathered at the combine is still very useful when evaluating prospects who could be added if the team buys its way into the second round or could be available after they go undrafted.

“I’d like to be there,” Simon said of being away from the Heat for most of the East finals “But just like I miss games during the year, my responsibility is to be prepared for the draft. That’s my job.”