Jaime Jaquez Jr. finds himself in a very different spot now than he was just a year ago. After three seasons in Miami, the 6’6″, 225-pound wing is heading to Milwaukee as part of the Heat’s outgoing package for Giannis Antetokounmpo, and he’s also in line for a rookie scale extension that can be signed through October 19.
That kind of crossroads is nothing new for Jaquez, who has already built a résumé that tells you plenty about what teams value in him. Miami took him 18th overall in the 2023 draft after a four-year run at UCLA, where he finished as one of the program’s most accomplished recent players.
As a senior in 2022/23, he put up 17.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting .481 from the field, .317 from three and .770 at the line across 37 appearances. That season earned him Pac-12 Player of the Year honors and a stack of second-team All-America nods.
He wasn’t just a one-year standout, either. During his time with the Bruins, Jaquez was a three-time all-conference selection and twice made the Pac-12’s All-Defensive team.
His rookie year in Miami looked like a clean continuation of that upward track. In 75 games in 2023/24, he averaged 11.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.0 steal in 28.2 minutes per night while shooting .489/.322/.811. The league noticed quickly: he won Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month twice, finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting, landed on the All-Rookie first team and even started in Miami’s first-round loss to eventual champion Boston.
The next season was a different story. In 2024/25, his role shrank, his minutes dipped to 20.7 per game, and by the end of the year he was out of the rotation. Across 66 appearances, he averaged 8.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.9 steals while shooting .461 from the floor, .311 from deep and .754 at the line.
Then came the response season. In 2025/26, Jaquez bounced back in a big way, posting career highs of 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game while shooting .507/.317/.769 in 75 games. He even drew 34 first-place votes for Sixth Man of the Year, finishing runner-up to Keldon Johnson.
If there’s one trait that has carried through all of that movement, it’s Jaquez’s decisiveness. He attacks with purpose, uses his size and handle to create leverage, and has a knack for punishing mismatches against a variety of defenders.
In Other News...
Heat Face A Costly Frontcourt Decision Before Opening Night
Nick Richards is giving the Heat something to think about as opening night approaches, and not just because he arrived on a non-guaranteed deal. His contract only becomes guaranteed if he makes the roster for the opener, which means Miami has to decide quickly whether the big man fits into its plans as the team sorts through the edges of the frontcourt.
The early signs point toward Richards having a real chance to stick, largely because the Heat could use the help up front and he has flashed rebounding ability in limited preseason minutes. For a team that likes to keep roster flexibility, this is the kind of decision that can quietly shape the start of the season, even if it doesn't carry the same spotlight as the bigger names. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Riley Still Faces One Big Heat Decision In The Backcourt
After a busy offseason that brought Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami and added more veteran help around him, the Heat still have one obvious area of curiosity in the backcourt. The roster looks deeper and far more ambitious than it did a few months ago, but the front office has not stopped scanning the market for another high-end guard who could change the ceiling of the team.
Kyrie Irving has become the name to watch ahead of the February trade deadline, with reports tying Miami to a possible deal for the Dallas Mavericks guard. Dallas is in the middle of a rebuild after moving Luka Doncic, and Irvings place there has become part of the larger picture, which is why this is the kind of situation Pat Riley tends to monitor closely. For the Heat, the question is whether the right opportunity is actually there, or whether the backcourt puzzle remains unsettled for now. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Fans Wont Like How Giannis And Bam Are Being Viewed
Bleacher Reports latest ranking of the NBAs top 30 defenders added another layer to the ongoing conversation around elite frontcourt defense, and it is the kind of list Heat fans are likely to have opinions on. Giannis Antetokounmpo landed at No. 10, with Bam Adebayo at No. 25, even as both players have built reputations on the defensive end for different reasons. Antetokounmpo is still seen as a force around the rim, while Adebayos value comes from the range of matchups he can handle across multiple positions.
For Miami, the interesting part is not just where Adebayo was placed, but how the broader perception of these defenders stacks up against what the Heat have seen from their own side of the matchup. The rankings have already sparked debate because Antetokounmpo and Adebayo are widely viewed as one of the leagues stronger defensive frontcourt pairings, and yet the list leaves room for disagreement about how that talent is being weighed. [Read more 🡒]