With only two teams still left standing, the remaining 28 NBA franchises have turned their attention solely to preparing for the draft which is less than a month away. With that said, the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat aren't entirely forgoing the future for the present either. According to reports the Eastern Conference champs will be hosting Fresno State big man Greg Smith today for a workout.
We've discussed Miami's potential need for another frontcourt presence already when they brought in Oakland center Keith Benson a few days ago. Smith could be another enticing option given his massive physical profile. At 6-foot-10 in sneakers with a 7-foot-3 wingspan and 250-pound frame, the sophomore is very much a pro center from a measurements standpoint. With that said his offensive game is still underdeveloped at this point and his production this past season wasn't reflective of a player with his kind of size advantage at the college level. Still, according to reports, Smith is making the most of his time training in Las Vegas right now and is certainly improving his conditioning and strength. If asked to rebound and play defense - a likelihood given Miami's offensive makeup - he could become a contributor with time.
The Heat currently have just one pick in the draft, No. 31 overall. DraftExpress projects Smith to go 59th to the Spurs, so based on that measure taking the Fresno State product that early could be a reach.
Elsewhere, the Washington Wizards will be bringing in former UTEP star Randy Culpepper as part of a group that will also include projected lottery picks Alec Burks, Klay Thompson and Tristan Thompson. The former Conference-USA Player of the Year, the diminutive guard is an explosive scorer and excellent athlete, but at the end of the day he just doesn't project out to the pro level as a 6-foot shooting guard who is only average from beyond the arc. It's possible with a good showing he could earn a training camp invite from the Wizards, but ultimately the D-League or Europe seem more realistic futures.