3 Young players the Heat should develop, 2 to give up on
By Tyler Watts
The Miami Heat have young talent, but who will they have to give up to complete a Damian Lillard trade? The seven-time All-Star wants to come to South Beach, but the Trail Blazers are unwilling to accept the Heat’s current offer. Portland is in no hurry, and the saga could drag on for months.
Miami is fresh off a trip to the NBA Finals and is poised to make another run with or without Dame. Jimmy Butler takes his game to another level in the postseason, and Bam Adebayo is one of the league’s best centers. No team wants to face the Heat in the playoffs, but losing Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, Cody Zeller, Omer Yurtseven, and Udonis Haslem this offseason will hurt.
The Heat need to replace that talent and what better way than by developing it? They have had a ton of success uncovering hidden gems, but who is their next undrafted find? Is he already on the roster? Here is a look at what Miami should do with their current talent under 25 years old.
3 Players the Miami Heat should develop, 2 they shouldn’t
Develop: Jaime Jaquez Jr.
The Heat took Jaquez Jr. 18th overall in June’s draft after four years at UCLA. The 6’7 wing just keeps improving, and he dropped 22 points in his first summer league game. Fans did not get too much more as Jaquez was injured in the second game of the California Classic. The shoulder issue is considered minor, but Miami did not play him in Las Vegas.
The Heat are high on Jaquez Jr. and believe he fits right into their culture. That usually bodes well for Miami as the last two times they picked in the teens, the franchise came away with Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo.
The biggest question about the 6’7 wing coming out of college is his shooting. He made just 32.8 percent of his 3-point tries during his four seasons at UCLA. If he can transform into a league-average shooter, Jaime Jaquez Jr. could be a key rotation piece for the Miami Heat for the next decade-plus. They should focus on his development and only part with the 22-year-old if they are getting a superstar in return.