MIAMI — Heat rookies Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro are the poster boys on why tanking doesn’t always pay.

The undrafted Nunn, in particular, is having a better rookie season than Knicks’ No. 3 pick RJ Barrett — as promising as the Duke forward has looked at times.

Leave it to Heat president Pat Riley.

Barrett was schmoozing with a KIA sponsor after the morning shootaround at Miami’s American Airlines Arena on Friday. KIA is a Knicks sponsor and also of the Rookie of the Year Award and rookie-ladder rankings posted on the league’s website.

Barrett just put up his career-high 27 points in the Hawks rout Tuesday, which got him into the top five of KIA’s rookie-of-the-year rankings Thursday.

While Barrett is fifth, Nunn is second and Herro third.

Who would have thought the rookies who make AmericanAirlines Arena their home would be in the running for the top honor? Top pick Zion Williamson hasn’t played yet this season and his former Duke teammate, Barrett, has experienced growing pains.

Nunn spent last season toiling for the Golden State Warriors’ G League team. The 6-foot-2 sharpshooting guard out of Oakland (Mich.) University has averaged 16.5 points, 3.6 assists on 45.3 percent shooting (36 percent from 3) to help Miami’s bust-out 20-8 start.

According to an NBA source, the Knicks tried to get Nunn on their 2018 summer-league team. Knicks interim coach Mike Miller saw Nunn last season when he coached the G League Westchester Knicks.

“When guys get those opportunities, he’s a good player,” Miller said at shootaround on Friday. “It’s the right situation. He’s in the right place. His talents are coming out.’’

Barrett has played more minutes than any rookie but is still having his highs and lows after a terrific early start to the season.

In Sacramento and Denver last week, Barrett shot a woeful 7 of 26 combined.

Then Barrett exploded with aggressive drives against the awful Hawks, and made his jump shots. Barrett’s 10 of 13 night brought his shooting average up to 39.6 percent (30.4 percent from 3). He still can’t shoot free throws consistently (5 of 8 Tuesday, 51 percent for the season).

“Every team plays a different way,’’ Barrett said of his disparate performances. “Every night’s different. You can’t have your best game every night. For me, I’m still a rookie. I’m trying to figure it out. It’s a lot of games. Trying to figure out. Trying to give my all every night. Over the course of every season, you have a couple games where you’re not yourself. I just feel like I was myself (Tuesday) and if I continue to be aggressive, like last game, it’s going to be help me.’’

Barrett is only 19, while Nunn is 24. The Heat rookie got kicked out of Illinois early in his college career for a misdemeanor battery charge stemming from a domestic-violence arrest, which some believe led to him going undrafted in 2018.

But the rise of Nunn and even the solid play of Kentucky’s Herro, shows that it’s not where you pick, but who you pick. Herro, also a terrific outside shooter at 19 years old, is averaging 14 points, shooting 37.3 from 3 and 86 percent from the free-throw line.

The Knicks tanked last season to put themselves in position for a player such as Williamson and Barrett. But the tanking urge has lessened this season for a variety of reasons, not just the lottery odds being smoothed.

“We’ve seen more of that,’’ Miller said regarding rookies excelling from all parts of the draft. “A lot of it is the players getting in a good situation. The system fits them and the players around him fit. And their talent comes out and they add value to that team.

Miller is not concerned about Barrett’s blips and only sees a mentally-tough player mature beyond his years who has helped in a variety of ways, as a rebounder, defender and scorer.

“We’re looking at a rookie coming in — he is really mature,’’ Miller said. “Mentally he is very mature. He’s prepared for this, handles these things. Physically he puts the work in, handles himself.

“It’s part of the learning,’’ Miller added. “He sees different things – the Denver game was different than the Sacramento game, the Sacramento game was different than the Golden state game. He’s learning every time. His adjustment has been outstanding.’’

Including four preseason games, Barrett’s up to 32 games, close to a college season. He’s not worried about any rookie wall.

“ Just had 27 last game,’’ Barrett said. “It’s a lot of travel. Just getting my body used to it. I feel like I’ve been prepared. Just continuing to get treatment, I’ll be fine.”

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