Miami Heat rookie forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. was able to play in just one NBA Summer League game due to a shoulder injury, but he definitely made the most of it. Jaquez led all scorers with 22 points, including three 3-pointers and one of the best poster dunks seen all summer in Las Vegas.

Jaquez Jr. looked out of place — in a good way — in his lone performance in summer league. Whether he was on the ball or off it, Jaquez looked comfortable and played at a smooth and controlled pace. Perhaps that should be expected after four years of seasoning at UCLA, but it was plenty encouraging for Miami to see Jaquez, the 18th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, play with such poise and control in an environment that rarely allows for that.

So what could the Heat possibly be concerned about after Jaquez's excellent showing?

The Heat's biggest concern about Jaime Jaquez Jr. after 2023 NBA Summer League is that trade partners will want him included in any deal.

Jaquez might have been a little too good in Las Vegas. While NBA executives aren't likely to let a single Summer League game sway them one way or another, Jaquez displaying all the chops that made him such an obvious “Heat culture” draft pick should be setting off alarm bells for any team entering trade negotiations with Miami. Heat executives are having a tough time downplaying how much they love Jaquez already, as Miami GM Andy Elisburg told Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

“I think he’s our type of guy,” Elisburg said. “I think he comes from the same kind of ethos that we think we value, with players that we value. He has that kind of competitiveness and the work ethic that you want to see.

“But I think he also has an understanding of the game of basketball. I think we have a certain type of player that we like and a certain type of player we wanted to get, and I think he brings a lot of those kinds of things. And you’re looking for people who fit what it is you do, and he fits really what we do.”

After an incredible run to the NBA Finals with multiple undrafted players carrying so much of the load, everyone is going to be paying attention to Miami's moves within the margins.

Yes, that includes the Portland Trail Blazers.

Jaquez will be available for trade after July 31st, which could re-spark negotiations between the two teams. If the Blazers do pull the trigger on granting Damian Lillard his wish and sending him to South Beach to team up alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, it would be front-office malpractice not to get Jaquez back in any deal. If Jaquez's perimeter shooting (32.8 career 3-point percentage at UCLA) catches up to the rest of his game, he'll be a plug-and-play guy right away for a rebuilding team.

If he stays in Miami, Jaquez still might push for a sizable role. After losing Max Strus to the Cleveland Cavaliers this offseason, minutes may be available on the wing if Jaquez proves himself to be a better fit than journeyman wing Josh Richardson.

Jaquez still needs to develop a true calling card offensively to fit in with Miami's starters, but there's enough playmaking juice and mid-post skills to have the Heat use him as a value version of Butler with the second unit.

Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s Summer League performance reinforced what led Miami to draft him in the first place. But if the rest of the league is paying attention, they'll try to pry Jaquez away as Pat Riley and Miami go hunting for a superstar once again.