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The Miami Heat have made their mark on the NBA Draft as the team selected Kasparas Jakucionis with the 20th overall pick in the first round on Wednesday night. While there have been rumors around the Heat in the lead-up to the draft, the team ended up keeping the pick and selecting the guard out of Illinois.
There's no denying that Miami has been batting well with selecting players around the middle of the first round, such as Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and just recently, Kel'el Ware were selected in that range.
Now the 19-year-old follows the aforementioned players and looks to make a mark with the organization, but it's time to look at how good the pick was and give it a grade.
Heat select Kasparas Jakucionis, who fell in the NBA Draft
With the Heat entering a critical offseason, it was key for the team to try and get an immediate impact player at No. 20, which has been an emphasis for the franchise in the past. A need for Miami was a guard who could contribute in playmaking and be a threat in the scoring department, and when it comes to Jakucionis, it could potentially be a mixed bag for fans.
However, there's no denying the talent that Jakucionis has, despite him being a raw talent. The Lithuanian-born player was projected to go higher in most NBA Mock Drafts around the basketball world, with ESPN's Jonathan Givony ranking him 10th overall in his big board.
If there are aspects around him that stand out, it's his playmaking ability and ballhandling, which the Heat could definitely use and was seen as a need. In fact, Givony labeled him as one of “the most polished pick-and-roll playmakers” in the 2025 draft class.
“Among the most polished pick-and-roll playmakers in this class, Jakucionis flashed a promising blend of size, feel, vision, and toughness for much of the season,” Givony wrote. “Though the scrutiny of carrying an offense through the rigorous Big Ten slate at 18 years old took a toll on him at times, the talent he flashed in his brightest moments leaves considerable room for optimism around his NBA transition.”
Heat looks to elevate Kasaparas Jakucionis, as there are some concerns
While the Heat were linked to Florida's Walter Clayton Jr., the national champion was taken with the 18th pick and is heading to play for the Utah Jazz. As Jakucionis kept falling to the 20th pick, it seemed almost like a no-brainer to take him with the value, as there is raw talent.
Still, Miami has been known in the past to have an exceptional player development program in elevating young talents, and mixing that with the ability of Jakucionis and it could be a match made in heaven. It is important to note, though, that his offensive capability in scoring the basketball isn't the best, as he has ups and downs when it comes to shooting.
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Last season for Illinois, Jakucionis has averaged 15 points, 5,7 rebounds, and 4,7 assists per game while shooting 44 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from three-point range. If there is one aspect that the Heat values, it's the defensive side of the ball, though it seems that will need work, as Givony says he needs to improve in staying “in front of quicker guards.”
“Weaknesses: Not exceptionally explosive, Jakucionis struggled with turnovers and shooting consistency as opposing defenses locked in on him late in the season,” Givony wrote. “He has some questions to answer on the defensive end and with learning to stay in front of quicker guards.”
Overall, Heat gets a highly talented player in Kasaparas Jakucionis
Despite the rumors surrounding the Heat in regards to free agency, fans should be cautiously excited with the selection of Jakucionis, as he has the talent worthy of being a lottery pick, as many analysts had him at. At the end of the day, there are parts of his skillset that should make the team salivate, which is his ability to be a playmaker and be effective in the pick-and-roll game with Jakucionis working with such bigs as Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware.
“Jakucionis dissects defenses out of pick-and-rolls with great positional size, smarts and playmaking savvy,” Givony wrote. “There is considerable confidence in his shotmaking prowess.”
Jakucionis now joins a backcourt that has Tyler Herro coming off the best season in his career and potentially Davion Mitchell, who received a qualifying offer from the team and will be a restricted free agent this summer. At any rate, the team is looking to improve after finishing 37-45, which put them 10th in the Eastern Conference before being swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
It'll be interesting to see Jakucionis' development with Miami, as there is major untapped potential.
Grade: B
