Jett Howard, son of Juwan Howard and Miami native, goes to Magic in NBA Draft lottery

Jett Howard blossomed into a star in South Florida while his father was an assistant coach for the Heat, and now he’s following in Juwan Howard’s legacy into the NBA.

Howard is headed to the Orlando Magic as the No. 11 overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NBA draft Thursday.

Although he finished high school at Bradenton IMG Academy, Howard grew up in Miami and won a state championship at NSU University in Davie before transferring across the state for his senior year. He was a two-time first-team All-Broward County selection by the Miami Herald as a sophomore and junior before leaving for IMG Academy for his senior year. He then went on to play for his father with the Michigan Wolverines and averaged 14.2 points per game in his lone season in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The 6-foot-7, 215-pound shooting guard was a major prospect as a freshman in Davie. With Raptors forward Scottie Barnes leading the way, the Sharks won a second straight state championship in 2019 and Howard played an important complementary role. He got his first scholarship offer from Florida a few months later and then was one of the best players in Florida for the next three years, solidifying himself as an elite prospect.

He wound up being the No. 43 overall recruit in the Class of 2022, according to the 247Sports composite rankings, and decided to go play for his dad after the elder Howard left the Heat to go coach his alma mater in 2019. Despite the Wolverines’ struggles, Howard impressed, earning third-team All-Big Ten Conference honors from the coaches and making the Big Ten’s All-Freshman team because of his knock-down three-point shooting — he shot 36.8 percent from three-point range — and high-IQ offensive play.

He’s a coach’s son and often plays like it.

Howard’s selection caps off a historic NBA Draft for the area. For the first time, four South Floridians got drafted, all in the lottery, as Howard joins Pine Crest alumni Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson, and Calvary Christian Academy grad Taylor Hendricks, who was actually his teammate for two years at NSU University.

He’s also the third former Shark to be drafted into the NBA, following Barnes and Jazz center Vernon Carey Jr.