Draft night was a bit of a roller coaster for the Miami Heat. After seemingly being in line to draft Walter Clayton Jr. from the Florida Gators, the Heat were leapfrogged by the Utah Jazz and instead pivoted to draft Kasparas Jakučionis out of Illinois.
At the time of the draft, Jakučionis was seen as a potential steal. His performance in the Summer League quieted some of those accolades, but at least some NBA executives believe that Jakučionis still has the potential to make everyone else regret not taking him.
NBA executives name Kasparas Jakučionis a steal of the draft
ESPN ran a poll where they anonymously polled 20 NBA executives and scouts and asked them a variety of questions. Among the categories was "Which rookie will be the biggest draft steal?"
While there was a wide range of responses to this question, Jakučionis came in third in this category.
It highlights that despite the struggles Jakučionis had to open Summer League, there are those around the NBA who still envision a high ceiling for the No. 20 pick.
Admittedly, Jakučionis did struggle hard at times. The biggest concern was the number of turnovers he was prone to and the lack of any real playmaking. When Jakučionis did have success, it was his jump shot doing the damage, but Heat fans would like to see him be stronger when attacking the rim.
To be fair to Jakučionis, and this is the case with any Summer League roster, he was playing with a hodgepodge group of players with whom he had no cohesion. Once he goes through training camp with the main roster, he should have a better idea of how to distribute.
And Jakučionis did get stronger toward the tail end of this summer compared to his first couple of outings, so there is a pathway for him to continue to improve once the season begins for real.
Given the state of Miami's roster, the Heat are in need of Jakučionis stepping up by season's end with proof he is ready for a larger role by 2026-27.
Hopefully, the NBA executives are right that he is the steal of the draft.