The Miami Heat entered the 2025 NBA Draft with one pick (at No. 20 overall) and used it on a player who many fans felt was a steal at that point in the first round.
The Heat were able to snag guard Kasparas Jakucionis, who fell in Miami’s lap after the team “didn’t think he would be there,” according to team executive Adam Simon.
While the addition of Jakucionis could pay dividends for the Heat franchise, a longtime Eastern Conference scout told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald on Monday that some folks in Las Vegas “didn’t have anything nice to say” about the rookie.
“NBA people I talked to in Las Vegas were killing him, didn’t have anything nice to say about him,” the scout told Jackson. “Quickness and shooting were my concern. Can he beat [skilled NBA players] off the dribble? He better be able to make shots. His play was disappointing, but I’m not ready to judge. He’s [very young at 19].”
The scout is likely referencing people he talked to during Summer League action in Las Vegas, which wrapped up in July. It’s unclear whether those people were commenting specifically on Jakucionis’ play during Summer League or if they were speaking on his overall profile as a prospect heading into the NBA.
He did have his fair share of highs and lows during Summer League play. He got his feet wet in the California Classic before the Heat went to Las Vegas, and the results weren’t pretty in California. In three games, he averaged just 4.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per contest while shooting 1-for-15 from the field and 0-for-11 from deep.
But he improved in Las Vegas, where he averaged 15.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game across three appearances. He shot 44.8 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from deep in those three games.
The truth is that it shouldn’t be a huge surprise if there are some people around the NBA who are low on Jakucionis. After all, he was passed on 19 times in the draft before the Heat took him off the board, so there were evidently some NBA folks behind the scenes who didn’t want their teams taking him.
But the Heat have to be happy that they got a possible lottery-caliber talent at No. 20 overall, and with any luck, they will help him grow into a key contributor at the NBA level in the coming seasons.
