Ryan Conwell scores 16 but struggles from deep

After a solid finish at the California Classic, Conwell got his Vegas Summer League run off to a good start on Friday. While he was just 2-of-8 from beyond the arc, the rookie guard shot the ball reasonably well from two and recorded a few assists. Conwell did commit six personal fouls, so defending without fouling may be a focus for him moving forward, even though players are allowed 10 fouls in summer league play.

After shooting 6-of-18 from the field in Sunday’s loss to the Lakers, Conwell capped his California Classic with an excellent showing on Monday. The second-round pick out of Louisville shot 4-of-9 from beyond the arc and 4-of-5 inside of it while leading the Heat in scoring. The lone issue for Conwell on Monday was defending without fouling, as he was whistled for six fouls. That isn’t an issue during the summer, as players are allowed 10 fouls, but the number obviously drops to six once the games count.

Conwell’s Summer League debut was a good one. The 37th-overall pick of the 2026 draft was one of two Miami players to reach at least 20 points in the game. Despite some inefficient shooting, he got to the line frequently, which is where he scored nearly half of his points. Conwell was the only player taken in the recent draft by the Heat, so he could have a good chance of being the team’s focal point throughout the summer.

In what has become a more common occurrence in this era of college basketball, Conwell played for four different schools in his four seasons. He saved his best for last, averaging 18.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.3 three-pointers in 30.9 minutes per game at Louisville in 2025-26. While a more than capable scorer, the 6-foot-4 guard will need to improve his efficiency to stick at the NBA level. Conwell shot 40.8 percent from the field, 34.5 percent from three and 83.2 percent from the foul line as a senior. Oklahoma City made the pick, but Conwell will be headed to Miami via trade. Given the talent that the Heat gave up to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo, Conwell’s perimeter shooting ability could prove valuable. He isn’t a lock to provide reliable fantasy value as a rookie, but there should be opportunities to contribute.