Jaime Jaquez Jr. may have already shown he can score in Milwaukee, but the next step in his game could come down to one simple thing: making more of the looks Kasparas Jakucionis creates for him.
That connection matters because both players arrived in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade after spending last season with the Miami Heat. Jaquez put together a career year in 2024-25 anyway, but the numbers from his work with Jakucionis leave room for a bigger leap if the two can sharpen their timing.
Last season, Jakucionis delivered the ball to Jaquez 327 times, easily the most frequent connection Jaquez had with any teammate. Norman Powell was next at 148.
Even with all that volume, the production never really matched the opportunity. Jaquez went 27-of-73 on those passes, which worked out to 37 percent from the floor, and he was just 3-of-16 from deep, a rough 18.8 percent.
That’s the part that makes the upside obvious. Jaquez still averaged 15.4 points while shooting 50.7 percent overall, so the baseline was already strong. If even a few more of those Jakucionis-fed chances start falling, the ceiling for Jaquez rises with it.
The Bucks don’t have their rotation fully sorted yet, and training camp should answer a lot of those questions. But there’s a real chance both Jaquez and Jakucionis are coming off the bench, which would give Milwaukee a second unit with some intriguing responsibilities. With the backcourt crowded and Jaquez already looking like one of the league’s better sixth men, that setup makes plenty of sense.
In that kind of role, Jakucionis could keep growing as a ball-handler while Jaquez operates as the secondary creator and the main scoring option. If the pairing becomes more efficient - with Jakucionis stacking assists and Jaquez cashing in - both players could be in line for the best seasons of their young careers.
It’s not the only thing that will shape Jaquez’s future in Milwaukee, but it could matter a lot. He’s set to play this season on an expiring contract, and improving on his career-best 2024-25 campaign might be the clearest path to a strong deal next summer.
If Jaquez starts turning more of Jakucionis’ passes into points, that would be a win for both players - and for the Bucks’ second unit too.
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