The Miami Heat wanted Kasparas Jakucionis out of the Giannis Antetokounmpo deal for a reason, and that reason is looking clearer by the day.
With training camp approaching, the Heat’s roster makeup has put a spotlight on what they gave up and what they tried to preserve. Miami reportedly pushed hard to keep Jakucionis out of the blockbuster trade package for Giannis, and the logic was simple: the Heat needed another natural playmaker in the backcourt. Davion Mitchell brings value, but he is not the same kind of creator as Jakucionis.
That thinking was central to Miami’s approach in negotiations with the Milwaukee Bucks.
"Miami's top two creators are both bigs, so some guard has to create shots. [Sam] Quinn says that is why the Heat fought hard to keep Kasparas Jakučionis out of the Giannis deal, though Jakučionis ended up on the Bucks anyway."
Miami was never going to let Jakucionis stand in the way of landing a superstar like Antetokounmpo. In the end, the Heat made the move they had to make. But the cost of that decision is now easy to see: the backcourt still lacks the kind of natural playmaking that could have eased the burden on the rest of the offense.
This is not really a Mitchell-versus-Jakucionis debate. It’s bigger than that. The issue is that Miami simply does not have enough guard creation on the roster, and Jakucionis would have helped fill that hole.
That shortage could matter a lot.
The Heat appear comfortable handing the starting point guard job to Mitchell, with little depth behind him. That’s where the loss of Jakucionis may sting the most. If Miami can’t generate enough offense from the perimeter, the team could feel it all season long.
The supporting cast around Giannis in year one is stronger than many expected, but it still does not bring enough playmaking in the backcourt. That puts even more pressure on the offense to run through Bam Adebayo and Giannis as the primary creators.
At some point, though, Miami will need more than just its bigs to make everything work. Whether the Heat have enough on the roster to handle that remains an open question.
At minimum, this is a roster gamble.
And while the Heat’s playmaking issues are not solely tied to missing out on Jakucionis, that decision is part of the picture. It limited Miami’s ability to build a more complete team on the fly, and that could end up being the difference.
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Heat May Have Given Up More In The Giannis Deal Than Expected
The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade gave Miami the immediate jolt it was looking for, but the move also sent Kasparas Jakucionis to Milwaukee, and that part of the deal is already drawing attention. The 20-year-old guard spent his rookie season in Miami showing a blend of efficient shot-making and defensive activity that made him look like more than a throw-in, even if his role was still limited.
Now in Milwaukee, Jakucionis appears headed for a bigger opportunity, which is exactly what can make the long view of a blockbuster trade tricky. His college and NBA tape point to a guard who can handle the ball, make plays for others and stay engaged defensively, so the Heat may eventually be judged not just on landing Giannis, but on how much young upside they were willing to include to get him. [Read more 🡒]