Go ahead and file your “Kasparas Jakucionis for Rookie of the Year” predictions under the “Never going to happen” bucket. The Miami Heat are making it painfully obvious that he’s not going to have a regular role during the 2025-26 regular season.
This wouldn’t be a revelation for most teams. Squads attempting to make the playoffs generally don’t rely on rookies, and unknowns. The Heat, though, are among the most common exceptions.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. is the most recent example. While he was on shakier footing in head coach Erik Spoelstra’s rotation last year, he ranked second on the team in total minutes played as a rookie.
Given Miami’s need for higher-end outcomes at the primary-playmaking spots, Jakucionis’ combination of size, live-dribble passing, and comfort firing shots off the bounce suggested he might get an immediate opportunity. Sure, his summer league performance also hinted at him being a bigger project than expected. But the Heat’s roster is leaning closer to gap-year territory or blue-chip Cinderella story than win-now urgents.
This theoretically gives them the runway to favor trial-by-fire with Jakucionis. Instead, they have traveled the complete opposite direction.
Heat’s latest signing is bad news for Kasparas Jakucionis
Miami just sent out a smattering of “What’s going on here?” alarm bells by attaching a 2032 second-round pick to get off Haywood Highsmith, and then signing Coach Spo favorite Dru Smith. Look past the mixed signals, and you can see how this move adversely impacts Jakucionis’ chances of cracking the rotation.
Listed somewhere between 6’2” and 6’3”, Smith is not a conventional floor general. Running the offense isn’t his strongest suit. He is valued more than anything for his defense. The 27-year-old can punch above his weight and height, and has some of the best hands in the NBA.
Smith is nevertheless yet another guard the Heat seem destined to squeeze into the rotation. He joins a depth chart that already features Tyler Herro, Davion Mithcell, Norman Powell, and for those still holding out hope, Terry Rozier. This says nothing of Pelle Larsson, who has the size to play some 2 or 3, but may be deployed as Miami’s go-to ball-handler during spells in which Herro is on the bench.
None of this leaves a whole lot of room for Jakucionis. And perhaps we should have seen this coming when the team stole Powell from the Los Angeles Clippers. He’s not a table-setter, but he’s someone who should be logging a lion’s share of his 25-plus minutes per game in the backcourt.
This could complicate Jakucionis’ development
Maybe the Heat’s plan is to play Jakucionis up, and away from the ball. His official measurements have him listed around 6’5”, which could allow him to slide up to the 3. At the same time, neither defense nor playing off the ball is considered a strong suit.
This complication isn’t the end of the world. Jakucionis could be much better off getting plenty of reps with the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the G-League. The Heat could also surprise us, look to put him on the ball in second units, and use all the vets around him to create space, while supplying him with proven outlets.
And yet, that scenario feels unlikely. At the very least, it's not something Miami seems built to explore unless it gets ravaged by injury bugs, or sees its season implode. If we're being honest, the Heat are shaping up to treat Jakucionis more like an immediate afterthought, and a big-picture project.