The Miami Heat had only pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and they used that on UCLA senior Jaime Jaquez. For a team that's looking to get back to the NBA Finals after a phenomenal playoff run, Jaquez was a home-run pick. He's ready to win now. A strong showing at the NBA Draft combine was what led to his rise on the draft boards. He was once projected by many mock drafts to be drafted in the second round and some even had him not being drafted. The Heat saw enough to make him their first round pick and Jaquez himself believes that he fits right in to the culture the Heat have cultivated as per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
“I know what the organization is about. And it's about toughness and willingness to work, putting in that work to become the best player that could possibly be, and that's what I've always been about,” Jaquez said. “At UCLA, I think those intangibles were really ingrained in me under Coach [Mick] Cronin And I think it's going to be a smooth transition coming here, because that's all I've been doing for four years.”
Last season at UCLA, Jaime Jaquez averaged 17.8 points per game, 8.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals with splits of 48.1 percent shooting from the field, 31.7 percent shooting from the three-point line and 77 percent shooting from the free-throw line. Jaquez spent four seasons at UCLA before declaring for the draft. He was eligible to return to school using the extra year of COVID eligibility.
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