In what is shaping up to be yet another crucial offseason, the Miami Heat cannot afford to whiff hard on moves that could upgrade the team on the margins. After all, the likes of Gabe Vincent and Max Strus will soon enter free agency, and they could very well command contracts that could be far too expensive for the Heat's taste. Nonetheless, it seems like the Heat are on track to add an NBA-ready contributor to help Jimmy Butler and company out in the form of Jaime Jaquez Jr., the 18th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft.

Jaquez may not be the most athletic player, but the 22-year old wing is a guarantee to give it his all on the court in every minute he plays. In fact, Heat fans believe that there may not be a more quintessential “Heat culture” player in the 2023 NBA Draft than the UCLA product given his ability to contribute in multiple facets. But there's even more reason for Jaquez to endear himself to the passionate Heat fanbase.

In an interview leading up to the draft, Jaime Jaquez Jr. revealed that his favorite player is Jimmy Butler — and now, he'll be getting the chance to play with him.

“He's just a dog, man,” Jaquez said in an interview with The Athletic in September 2022.

In fact, Jaquez revealed in the same The Athletic interview that he “envisions” himself becoming more of a player in the Jimmy Butler mold. Of course, this should be thrilling to hear for Heat fans, as if there is anything that has come to define Butler throughout his professional career, it's his legendary work ethic, fashioning himself from a late first-round pick into one of the best players in the NBA.

For now, however, Jaquez should settle into more of a complementary role as the Heat continue to rely on Butler and Tyler Herro to commandeer the offense. This should give him the opportunity to settle into the Heat's grueling culture of hard work, upping his conditioning to the point where he can be a high-level role player — perhaps even more — the more he acclimates to the professional game.