Heading into the NBA Draft, there were many questions about the direction of the Miami Heat. Even though those might not be 100 percent answered, they did appear to choose a direction with their selection of Kasparas Jakucionis with the No. 20 overall pick (as part of the Jimmy Butler deal) in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Jakucionis could very well end up being the biggest steal in the first round, and he might just be the lifeline that this franchise needed. Jakucionis is not just a lottery talent that fell all the way to the Heat at No. 20. He also fills the team's biggest need. As a natural playmaking guard, Jakucionis is almost the perfect prospect for the Heat.
Kasparas Jakucionis is the best value pick of the first round
The fact that they were able to get him at No. 20 should make the rest of the NBA pretty upset. Now that Jakucionis will enter arguably the NBA's best developmental system, it will be interesting to see how he evolves as a player between now and the start of the season.
I can't imagine he's going to emerge as a day one starter for the Heat, but there's no question he's going to take significant pressure off the shoulders of Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo when he does embrace a role in the rotation.
During his freshman season at Illinois, Jakucionis averaged 15 points, six rebounds, and five assists. He may have sputtered a bit during the second half of the season, but the talent is clearly there for Jakucionis. As a big guard with plenty of playmaking upside, it's easy to see why the Heat were so willing to take the gamble.
Sure, Jakucionis leaves much to be desired as an athlete, and there a real questions about his defensive ability, but the good very much outweighs the bad for him as a prospect.
If the Heat can quickly get into the gym, buy into the system, and mesh with their intriguing young talent already in place, there's a reason to believe that Jakucionis will be able to make a difference for the team during his rookie season.
Miami entered the draft night with a need to either pull the trigger on a franchise-altering trade or for an incredibly talented prospect to fall into their lap at No. 20. It appears that's exactly what happened with Jakucionis. It may not be Kevin Durant, but Heat fans should be excited about what transpired on draft night.